The challenges of Happiness
by The Bagpiper
Summary: With all her might Ginny is trying to keep her promise to Harry but when even simply surviving hurt it's not a easy task. Not even with the help of a man, a wizard, a dwarf and an elf. Especially not when some godlike beings decided that she should be the light to give balance to the darkness. (more detailed summary inside the first chapter) (Legolas X Ginny) Character deaths
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** _After the battle for Hogwarts Ginny is left the only one standing. Everybody she ever loved is dead. To escape the pain she runs into the Forbidden Forest wishing for a place where she could be happy. After running for hours she stumbles and stays on the forest floor hoping to die. but who would find her... the White Wizard._

 _With the support of a wizard, a man, a dwarf and a elf, Ginny will need to learn to live her life again. But how do you do that when they just dumped you in the middle of another war._

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 **AN: You all might recognize this story from the writer MGO. MGO stopped writing because of the bullying. I have requested to adopt this story and finish it with a better ending. The story will be longer, I plan on writing detailed chapters till Legolas and Ginny reach Valinor. Hopefully the story will be more detailed and without so many mistakes.**

 **AN2: MGO stopped writing because of the bullying. She was enjoying writing stories greatly but readers who cannot except that things might be non-canon made it impossible for her to continu. She is a good friend and it's a shame. Therefor I will not accept flaming, bullying or any form of negativity beyond the norm. Anyone, needlessly being a bully will be reported immediately**

 **That said... enjoy the story!**

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 **1\. The world crumbles**

She stumbled around, her wild dark brown eyes jumping from dead body to dead body. She whimpered when she recognized her best friend amongst the dead. Hermione's wild curls clung to her bloodied face, her dead eyes staring into nothing. Her breathing stopped and painful spasms ran through her body as she looked down at Hermione's mangled body.

Two steps further she found a tuff of red hair and a wail escaped her. She fell to her knees next to her youngest brother. He was dead as well. His shirt had been torn and the large deep cuts exposed more than she ever wished to see. The cuts had long stopped bleeding, dried blood covered the ground around his body.

Tears fell from her onto her brother's face. It didn't make things better but she couldn't help it. The tears just kept coming but they didn't release the pain. After crying for what felt like a lifetime she looked around. To her horror she noticed more red hair around her, the twins, her father.

She felt sick, her stomach was heaving but there was nothing that could come out. The scene around her made her feel like she was living her worst nightmare. Dead and tortured people everywhere she could see. She started to recognize even more faces.

Suddenly the need to run from this bloody scene became overwhelming, she had to find her mother, Bill maybe, or if all failed, Luna, at least somebody to hold onto as her world collapsed. She needed somebody to tell her it was a nightmare, to wake her up.

She knew Harry was dead. As she stumbled towards the forest she remembered his last moments, he died together with Voldemort. In a big blast of magical power they both found death, freeing the world from the Dark Lord. Somehow she had known it would end like that, deep in her heart she had somehow expected that Harry wouldn't return to her but she never expected it would hurt so much to loose him completely.

In de midst of the Hogwarts grounds she let out a feral scream to release some of that pain.

As she tried to run from the dead behind her another set of red haired dead bodies appeared close at the edge of the forest.

"No!" she gasped and ran towards the unmoving body of her mother. "No!" she wailed loudly.

Next to her mother lay Fleur and besides the part Veela, Bill. "No, oh Merlin no. Please!" she whimpered. She crawled over to Bill, shaking his shoulder. She never noticed the large gash across his stomach. "Bill, please wake up, please Bill, don't leave me alone. Please, please, please. You can't be dead."

Her body shook violently against the pain as it ripped through her body. Her family dead, the man she loved dead, her best friend also dead. She was alone, alone with her pain. It felt like her body was being ripped apart but still able to breath and live.

"No!" she screamed loudly. The pain and anger released an unintended blow of magic around her, pulsating until it left her exhausted.

"Ginny?" a soft voice said behind her. She looked up to see McGonagall looking at her with compassion, maybe even pity. Even the strict teacher had her eyes red with tears. Her grey hair loose around her face was cover in blood as well but at least her eyes showed signs that she really was alive. The pity on her face and the hurt in her eyes made all the deaths so final, so definite. Pain ripped through her again, she wanted her family back. She skidded backward as McGonagall tried to step closer.

"It's over, Ginny." McGonagall said softly, "No one is going to hurt you again."

She shook her head, completely dazed by the pain, McGonagall's words never really reached her. She felt trapped by her loss and pain, trapped by the darkness that was surrounding her. She wanted to get away from it all, she wanted, no need to be released from the pain.

The need to get away from the pain grew but Death wasn't there to give her that sweet release. It was hurting too much, ripping her to pieces. She scrambled to her feet, tried to utter an apology and she ran away. Into the forbidden forest.

She ran, it felt like hours but she ran, tear streaking down her face. Her breath hitched constantly and her body ached from all the wounds it had sustained during that final battle but she ran, away from the pain.

With every step she wished she could get away from it all, away from the world that had fallen into pieces around her, away from the cold and pain. She wished she could be in a happy place again. A place where she had people left that cared about her, a place that could comfort her. However, just away from this painful place was enough for now. All she could think about was that she wanted to escape and in her mind the only true escape was death. She would be back with her family than.

She ran until she couldn't run any further. There was a stabbing pain in her stomach, the cuts and bruises on her body really hurt a lot and she was tired, so damn tired. An up sticking root of one of the abnormally large trees made her stumble. She was too tired to even stop her fall. With a groan she hit the forest floor and stayed there.

She didn't want to get up, there was no reason to get up, every reason for doing something had been taken away from her. Nobody would be waiting for her return, nobody would care if she stayed on the forest floor or not. There was nobody left to worry about her injuries, nobody left to love her and care about her. She just wanted to stay there and die. That way at least she could be with her family and with Harry.

Somewhere in time, long after she fell, exhaustion took her. Never noticing that somebody was watching her.


	2. 2 The Wizard

**AN: I decided to upload the second chapter quickly as the first was so short.**

 **AN2:**

 _Italic: Thought_

 **Bold: Elvish**

 _ **Italic and Bold: Thoughts in Elfish**_

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 **2\. The wizard**

When the sunlight started to flitter through the trees her watcher decided to quench his curiosity about this strange red haired girl. He had noticed her running through the forest and he had followed her. With the soft fall of her footsteps he had thought that maybe the person running was one of the companions he was waiting for but he was shocked to find out it was a young woman. She ran fast, as if she had been running from a foe.

Once she stumbled onto the forest floor he heard her crying. It was soft and heartbreaking but he wasn't sure if he should comfort her. The world was a hazardous place and letting himself be deceived by beauty and youth was a mistake he couldn't afford. He circled slowly around her, inspecting the young woman to establish if she was dangerous to him.

She wasn't dressed in a familiar style, in her hand she held a small wooden stick but besides that she did not carry anything note worthy. The wooden stick must have been important because she never let it go, not even when she fell. Even now as she was sleeping the stick stayed firm in her hand. He was wise enough not to underestimate the wooden stick; anything could be used as a weapon.

More worrisome than the wooden stick was the fact that he felt power pulsating from her, some form of magic and it was strong. Perhaps a bit wild but it was much stronger than his magic. It made him unsure if she was safe to approach or not.

As said eventually his curiosity got the better of him and moved closer to the red head. She was covered in blood, cuts and bruises. She wasn't much more than seventeen summers old. She was dressed in what could be compared to elf breeches but the fabric was different from anything he had ever seen before.

He turned her to her back to inspect her for major wounds but didn't find any. Every bruise and cut had been superficial and not life threatening.

"Wake up, milady." He said softly. Carefully he shook her shoulder, it made her groan softly. "Wake up, the sun is up already."

Ginny groaned, consciousness slowly returned, her body ached all over. She was laying on something cold, a floor of some sort. She faintly remembered falling down in the forbidden forest but she couldn't care less. She didn't want to ever move again. She hoped that at some point a stray Death Eater would find her and kill. Annoyingly, a soft sunlight burned in her eyes, she raised her hand to shield her face from the sun.

"Welcome to the world of the living." Somebody said next to her. She tensed, her body protested, her hand tightened around her wand. It didn't sound like a Death Eater but she could only hope.

"Please, just do it." She whispered.

"Do what?"

"Just kill me and be done with it. Please?"

"Why would I want to kill you, milady?"

She opened her eyes, squinted against the sunlight. Leaning on a white staff, an old man with white robes and snow white hair and beard looked down at her with concern. _No, definitely not a Death Eater_.

Maybe she was just dreaming about a Dumbledore like figure calling her to her family.

"Are you in pain?" the old man asked.

She refused to answer, who cared that she was hurting all over? Who cared that she felt like her body and soul had been ripped into pieces? Who cared that just being was hurting her so much? Nobody, because that was nobody left. It was just she.

"Let me heal your wounds."

The man sounded calm and not faced by her silence at all. She felt a hand on her forehead and the old man whispered unfamiliar words. A pleasant warmth spread through her body, she felt her skin itching and her breathing became more relaxed. Like with a healing charm, her body was slowly healed, though her heart wouldn't.

"There that is much better." The old man mused. With a jolt of surprise Ginny felt herself being lifted into the air. Her eyes flashed open suddenly she found herself in the arms of the old man. With surprising strength he carried her.

"Who are you?" she demanded but he didn't answer immediately. He carefully placed her on a soft spot of moss against a tree.

"I'm know as Gandalf the Grey, or Mithrandir if we go by the elfin name that is given to me. I'm the white wizard." He said as he sat down next to her.

"I never heard of a white wizard." She said slightly confused, though her voice only betrayed aggression. "Nor have I heard of a wizard named Gandalf." The wizard didn't seem to react to the venom in her voice. He just looked at her with a soft smile.

"Perhaps not." He mused. "May I know your name, young lady?"

"I'm Ginevra… Ginny will do." She muttered. Her soul fluttered in pain, she wasn't even able to say her family name out loud. She had no family left, there was no use for that name any longer. A tear escaped her eyes as she thought of her family. The images of their dead bodies, covered in blood, still burned holes in her soul and heart.

She felt the eyes of the old wizard on her, she hated to look weak in front of a stranger and she fought the tears away. Trying not to look at the wizard because she was afraid that he would see right through her, she looked around her.

It was only then that she noticed that this forest didn't look much like the forbidden forest. It wasn't as dark, though the air was just as heavy and tense. The trees didn't look as scary and there were no sounds of any magical inhabitants. When she looked closer she noticed that her surroundings were very unfamiliar. She wondered if she even was still in the forbidden forest. If she was, it wasn't any part she had ever seen or heard off.

Looking around again she concluded it was a forest. Large trees were all she could see, the canopy filtered the sunlight to a soft green haze.

 _Perhaps I apparated somewhere without knowing_ , she mused.

"Where am I?" she asked the old wizard next to her.

"You are in Fangorn forest." Gandalf said.

"I have never heard of Fangorn forest before."

"It is the old forest on the border of Rohan."

"What is Rohan?"

The wizard raised his eyes brows in question. Ginny could clearly read the confusion in them.

"One of the kingdoms of Middle Earth. It's the home of the horse lords." He said slowly.

"Middle Earth?" Ginny asked. Gandalf nodded. It was now her turn to be confused, slowly she shook her head in confusion. She knew Earth, the Earth! The only place humans, magical or muggle lived. She was surely dreaming.

"Where are you from?" Gandalf asked her.

"From Ottery St. Catchpole." Ginny whispered. Her home had been there. The Burrow had been burned down shortly after Christmas. It didn't exist anymore. Ashes, nothing more. Besides no place would be home without her family.

"I have never heard of a place like that before." Gandalf mused.

"It's a small place in England." Her voice grew softer and sadder. She didn't want to think about home, about her family, her dead family. She didn't want to remember England. She didn't know where she was now but if the fates hated her and let her live, than she would never return to that place, or to Hogwarts. She just couldn't.

They sat in silence for a long time, both witch and wizard lost in thought. The silence didn't help against the pain and Ginny struggled to keep herself from breaking into pieces. She fought hard to lock the pain away but didn't really manage it.

She realized that she was totally alone now, besides this strange old man, she had nobody. All those she had known and cared about had been killed in the battle. Now, there was nobody for her to lend a shoulder to cry on, to tell her everything would be alright. The sad thing was nothing would ever be alright again. Nothing could ever make it right.

Her life had been changed dramatically over night. One moment she had stood side by side with her family and friends, the next they were dying around her. Leaving her alone. It hurt knowing she was alone. It wasn't supposed to go like that. Harry would end the war, he would be victorious and they would live happily ever after. She knew that fairytales would never be more than fairytales but she had wanted that future, badly. Now it was lost. It would never be.

She felt her eyes tingling and tears started to form at the rims. To distract herself from the darkness that loomed in her mind she thought over her present situation, according to the old man she was in Fangorn Forest. She had never heard of it before, neither had she heard of Middle Earth before.

Her mother always told her to be careful what you wish for and she had wished, constantly for an escape as she had run. She remembered wishing for peace and a release from the pain but that hadn't been given to her. Instead she had ended up in a strange world with an even stranger companion. At least he was a wizard.

She wondered if she had used some sort of magic to get here. Wishing magic was a branch of magic that wasn't extensively studied and only seen as accidental magic. However her mother always said that it was one of the most powerful magic. Was it powerful enough to take her to a completely different world?

Suddenly her stomach growled. Though her body was hungry she knew she couldn't eat. She felt no desire to eat, the thought alone made her sick. Her stomach was full of hurt and anxiety.

"Are you hungry?" the old man asked.

"No." Ginny sighed.

The old man looked at her, almost through her and nodded. Ginny suspected he knew more than he let on. She had seen that look in Dumbledore's eyes too many times. She wondered what he knew.

Did he know where she came from? Did he know why she ended up in this strange place? What did he know about her?

"I'm not from here." She mused.

"No." Gandalf nodded, "You wear strange clothing of unknown fabric, that alone is enough to prove that you are not from anywhere in Middle earth and I have never heard of England before. If it had been in Middle Earth I should have known about it as I travelled around for too many years."

"Do you know how and why I got here?" she pressed.

Gandalf shrugged and looked up at her. "I'm not sure, certain things happen for a reason that will only be shown later. Perhaps the Valar had use for you?"

"Use?" Ginny asked, the idea of being used irked her.

"War is coming to Middle Earth, milady. Sauron will strike soon. This war will change the course of Middle Earth, humans will be enslaved or used for food, women will be raped and murdered. Once Sauron wins his war, darkness will take Middle Earth." Gandalf sounded sad and Ginny couldn't help but groan. "Yet there is always speck of hope and we must hold on to that. You are a witch, I can feel the power flowing from you. I suspect that your powers are greater than mine. Perhaps the Valar send you here to help us."

Ginny closed her eyes and shook her head, she had just fought a war. Just hours ago she had seen her friends and family die. All she wanted to do was die and join them, not fight another war. This would be a war in a world she didn't know, with people she had never seen before nor really cared for. Why in Merlin's name would she want to fight, except for the possibility of dying and joining her family.

Remembering the second blood war she could only see mangled bodies, dead people, blood, hatred and anger. Even if it was decided that she should live and not to join her friends and family in death now, even than she didn't want to go through a war again. She had seen enough blood to last her twenty lifetimes.

"I can't go through that again." She whispered, a tear escaped.

"Again?" Gandalf asked. "Your wounds…" he mused.

It was silent for a while, Ginny felt his eyes run over her face, arms and hands. She knew he was looking at her cuts and bruises, at the blood that was sticking to her hands and clothes. She remembered that it wasn't her own blood on her hands. It was her family's blood, Bill, Ron and her mother… all of them had bled and it was now sticking to her hands.

For a while she waited in fear until he would ask questions she never wanted to answer, she couldn't talk about what had happened just a day ago.

"I understand, Lady Ginevra," He spoke softly. His eyes didn't show any pity, just understanding. "I really do but I'm afraid you will be sucked into it anyway. You see, you are in Middle Earth now, it would do no good to speculate how or why that happened, things are as they are now." Gandalf said calmly. "Middle Earth stands on the brink of destruction and you landed in the middle of it. I know it seems unfair, it is unfair and if I could, I would keep you safe but I don't think I can." He said with a sigh. "There is no place safe anymore."

He looked at her again, their eyes met and he smiled softly.

"I can see in your eyes that you have seen too much horror already. They hold a deeper pain than your shallow wounds could cause." Ginny closed them for a second. She had been right, this wizard saw right through her. "It would be my wish to keep you away from the war that is coming but I don't know how. Every corner of Middle Earth is invested with enemies. Even this forest isn't really safe, I can't send you somewhere without risking your life. As soon as the enemy knows about you and your power they will hunt you, enslave you, torture you."

Ginny looked up at the man sitting next to her. Her eyes widened in horror as she realized what the wizard was telling her.

"You mean to say that I don't have a choice. You say I have to fight again?"

"I don't know yet, my child. All will be revealed with time. I think it's best you stay with me for now, soon my companions will join us and we will travel to Edoras. We are needed in Edoras. Maybe we will find a solution for you there or while we travel."

To Ginny, Gandalf didn't sound hopeful about that solution. For a strange reason she trusted the wizard to speak the truth but the truth wasn't what she wanted to hear. Another war… another period of fear, anger, blood and death. Maybe she should look forward to it, it was the perfect chance to get herself killed and be with Harry and her family again but somehow she couldn't. Her whole being flinched away from the thought of facing another battle.

"These companions? Who are they, why aren't you with them?" Ginny asked after a while. She had enough of these unanswered thoughts running freely through her mind and needed distraction.

"We got… separated." Gandalf answered carefully. Like he wasn't sure how to proceed. "We got separated in the mines of Moria. They think I died while fighting a Balrog. I fell, through fire and water. I fought the Balrog and killed him but the battle had taken its toll on me, in the end I did die. My soul wandered aimlessly, not really finding rest until I was send back by the Valar to finish my task."

"Insane." She muttered, returning from the dead. Impossible. This wizard must be speaking in riddles, much like Dumbledore had done. Must have been the age. Gandalf chuckled at her soft comment. "How do you know they will meet you here? I mean if you are supposed to be dead to them."

"I can't really explain. During the time my soul wandered I was gifted with a lot of knowledge. I just know that they are traveling this way and we will meet each other again soon, somewhere here in the forest." Gandalf said.

"What's a Balrog?" Ginny asked when she decided that she wouldn't understand what the wizard was saying. This riddle was too complicated, like code language she needed to learn.

"A Balrog is a demon from the ancient world. A creature made of shadow and flame."

Ginny shook her head again. This Middle Earth started to sound more and more like a strange place. A demon of shadow and flame? How in Merlin's name did that end up in a world? What else would walk this earth? Back home they didn't have demons, monsters, yes but no real demons. What kind of world had she ended up in?

"Tell me about Middle Earth?" Ginny asked. If she to stay in this insane world for any length of time and face a war she at least wanted to know something about it. She needed to know how big her chance was to be killed and be reunited with Harry and her family. Or else, what she should be fighting for. It was needless to die without a good plan, might as well do it while supporting the good side.

Gandalf started to tell her all about a strange world. He told her about how Middle Earth came to be. About the Valar, the Maiar and their place and function in Middle Earth. He told her about the ancient history and then Gandalf told her about creatures she had never heard of before, Ancient creatures, Orcs, and Uruk-hai. He told her about the Shire and the Halflings who lived there, about the different kingdoms of men and elves and about Mordor and Sauron. He was a bit hesitant but he told her about the forging of the great Ring of power and the greed of men. She felt like he was completely honest with her, like he wanted her to know what she would be fighting for and against. He didn't give her an edited version but the full story, the good and bad.

"Sauron was defeated by an army of men and elves, once the ring of power was cut from his hand he was gone. Isildur had the chance to destroy the ring but it corrupted his mind and he allowed that evil would endure. Sauron's spirit is linked to the existence of the ring and stayed undefeated."

"Voldemort." Ginny whispered. To her the story of Sauron sounded so fucking much like that of Voldemort. She had heard Harry's story about the horcruxes as he dueled Voldemort. During the duel Harry had explicitly told the whole world about the evil Tom Riddle truly was. Harry had explained while circling Voldemort how she had been victim to his first Horcrux. She now understood that her eleven-year-old self never had a chance.

Now listing to this old man talking about a ring with similar qualities she couldn't help but feel the coldness of the horcrux again. It made her shiver with an old fear.

"I'm sorry?" Gandalf asked.

Ginny looked up at the old man, he looked slightly concerned and though she really didn't want to remember anything about Voldemort or the battle, she knew one day she had to face it all. This was the easiest part of her story.

"Where I come from… we were at war as well… We fought against a wizard named Voldemort and his Death Eaters. This Voldemort, he had been vanished before, how and what happened is mainly a great mystery but nobody ever truly believed he was gone forever. One day by use of ancient magic he returned to his body and the second blood war started. His soul was able to survive the first time because he created Horcruxes. Objects that by use of dark magic contained a part of his soul. It sounds so similar to the ring and Sauron."

Gandalf nodded, she could see him think about her words but he didn't ask for more information.

Her words lingered in her mind as well. The second blood war. She had known it was to be dangerous, she had known people would end up getting killed but her whole family, everybody… except her.

It just didn't make sense! She was the youngest of those who fought, not nearly as smart as Hermione, not nearly as skilled as Bill. Yet they were dead and she was in a world she had never heard off. She remembered every move she made yesterday, every Death Eater she faced, somehow she always won her duels, curses would miss her like she had swallowed a bottle of felix. She didn't felt lucky, though. She felt lost, angry and empty. There was nothing left for her.


	3. Meeting Hobbits

**AN: thanks for the three reviews and the kind messages. I am not going to spill the beans on Ginny's status in this story. It's a part of the plot. Enjoy this next chapter.**

 **AN2:**

 _Italic: Thought_

 **Bold: Elvish**

 _ **Italic and Bold: Thoughts in Elfish**_

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 **3\. Meeting Hobbits**

Suddenly there was a loud noise in the forest. She heard high-pitched voices, a deep voice and the creaking of wood. Some sort of instinct kicked in and she jumped up and raised her wand ready to defend herself.

Gandalf heard it as well but surprisingly he was smiling. He looked expectantly into the forest. Ginny moved closer to him, hiding a bit behind him. He had told her enough of this Middle Earth to expect something dangerous.

Her jaw nearly hit the ground when she saw a tree walking towards them. A real tree, it was walking and talking. When she recovered from her shock and looked closer she saw that it was holding two children in its… claws… branches…She blinked a few times to make sure she wasn't dreaming. It was real, a large tree and moving towards them. It spoke. _Insane_.

"Maybe you are, maybe you aren't, the white wizard will know." The tree said and dropped the two children on the floor. They looked scared and let out a scream as they fell. Her eyes immediately flashed back to the tree. _A talking tree_!

"Bloody hell." She whispered.

Gandalf took a step forward and looked down at the children. To Ginny it seemed like he was glowing. She felt his magic flowing out from him creating a bright white glow but it couldn't keep her attention, the tree was doing just that.

"Stand up, Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took." Gandalf said.

Ginny tore her eyes away from the strange tree and looked down at the two children. They were scrambling to their feet. Once they stood Ginny noticed that they weren't children. They were men, though a head shorter than she was, they were adults. _Hobbits_ , she suddenly realized as she remembered Gandalf's story about the Halflings.

"Gandalf?" One of the two asked confused. The old man nodded and smiled at the two hobbits. "Gandalf!" the other shouted happy and ran toward him. The old wizard was suddenly pulled into a hug by the two hobbits.

Apparently Gandalf was surprised by their move, his face was pulled into a funny expression as the hobbits wrapped their way too short arms around him like little kids would. It was quite a comical sight. Something of a chuckle escaped from Ginny's lips as she watched them.

Her face fell as soon as she heard her own chuckle. Laughter didn't feel right. She couldn't really laugh when it hurt so much just to be alive. In that second she remembered how Harry's eyes had flashed with happiness when she laughed. His green eyes would brighten and shine like stars. It hurt to remember. It was like a knife stabbing through her chest.

Her strangled chuckle alerted the Hobbits and the terribly strange tree of her presence.

"Who's that?" one of the hobbits asked.

"This is lady Ginevra. She is a friend of mine." Gandalf said. She was so shocked to hear the old wizard introducing her as a friend that she forgot to correct him with the name. Friendliness wasn't something she had experienced from strangers over the last two years. It came as a bit of a surprise that the wizard would see her as a friend.

"Are you a wizard too?" the hobbit asked.

"I'm a witch." Ginny answered. The Hobbits smiled up at her and nodded. Somehow the two hobbits reminded her of her brothers, they both had a mischievous glint in their eyes, just like Fred and George. She winched internally.

"A witch?" the other calmer hobbit asked in awe.

"Can you make fireworks like Gandalf?" the excited one asked.

 _Fireworks_ …It felt like somebody hit her in her stomach. The air she had in her lungs escaped with a gasp. Her arms wrapped around her stomach in the hope to hold herself together. Bright images of beautiful fireworks flashed in her memory as she heard her brothers laugh like an echo in the distance.

"I'm sure lady Ginevra can create beautiful fireworks but now is not the time young hobbits."

"No, master Gandalf." The tree said. "Tell me if these little Orcs are indeed hobbits from the Shire."

Ginny welcomed the distraction and used the time they watched Gandalf converse with the tree to pull herself back together.

The idea of a talking tree alone was still insane. With another quick look at her surroundings she realized that this world was stranger than she thought. Even though she was a witch and magic was the reality of her life, it was hard to believe this sort of strangeness. Shakily she sat down and waited for the conversation to end. She took the time to get her mind sorted and try to accept the strangeness. All the while she felt the eyes of the hobbits on her. _Had they never seen a girl before_!

Gandalf and the tree, she found out was named Treebeard, talked for many hours. They discussed the war and life in the forests. They talked about rumors, the movement of the elves and about humans. The hobbits ate and smoked a pipe that smelled terrible and talked little amongst them selves. It was mainly about food and their lost companions.

Ginny tried to listen to Gandalf and Treebeard for distraction but after a while her attention lessened and unwanted memories flooded back into her mind. Even with her eyes wide open, focusing on the talking tree she saw Harry's mangled body flying through the air. She had barely a second to raise her shield to prevent her from meeting the same fate. Now all she wished that she hadn't. Why hadn't she let the blast hit her too? Or even better why hadn't she been in time to save Harry?

She remembered running towards him while he dueled with Voldemort. Many times Death Eaters had blocked her way. She remembered hitting them with curses she had never used before. In her fear and panic she had used deathly curses or very painful ones. It seemed that most of the Death Eaters were too surprised by her using such dark curses to do anything in reaction but she had been desperate and magic was all about intent after all.

It hadn't mattered, she hadn't gotten to Harry in time and even if she would have, she was almost sure she couldn't have done much, except dying.

Suddenly her stomach reminded her that she hadn't eaten in a long time. It growled and grumbled. It pulled her out of her thoughts. She had been crying again, her cheeks were wet. Quickly she wiped her face clean.

Her stomach growled again, this time loud enough for the Hobbits to hear.

"Here" One of the hobbits said and held out something that looked like bread. "It's lembas, elf bread. We managed to keep some hidden in our pockets when the Uruks took us."

"Thanks." She whispered. She took the small bite of bread from the Hobbit and nibbled on it. It tasted surprisingly good. Like toast but sweeter. Once she had something in her stomach it stopped growling. She looked back at the hobbits. They looked nervous, haggard and a bit frightened. "What is your name?" she asked the hobbit that gave her the bread.

"Oh, how rude of us!" the hobbit yelped. "I'm Meriadoc but Merry will do."

"I'm Pippin." The other said. "Sorry, we didn't introduce ourselves properly milady."

"It's okay, and please no milady's to me. It's Ginny."

Both hobbits smiled and nodded to her. Again Ginny was hit with the images of her twin brothers. Their eyes bright with mayhem and mischief, their laughter ringing in her ear, their smile wicked and a glint of evil. Quickly she looked away from the hobbits. Her hand wiped away the tears that had rolled down her face. It wasn't fair!

"Tell me a bit about yourselves?" She asked the hobbits with a strangled voice, hoping they would provide distraction.

And they did. They told her all about Hobbits, the Shire, about Frodo's quest and about how they ended up with Treebeard. It was a really exciting story. The hobbits were very good storytellers and really excited to get it all out. She realized that they had already seen a lot of horror, even though to her the Hobbits seemed quite innocent. She felt for them as they told her how one of their companions died before their eyes. How helpless they felt when their protector got shot three times with arrows.

She felt she could sympathize. It wasn't hard to remember the helplessness she felt when she watched Harry battle Voldemort. When she watched the final stroke of the wand. She had known what was going to happen but couldn't stop it anyway.

It was already growing dark when Gandalf and Treebeard moved towards them. Ginny got up quickly and skidded backwards, she still didn't really trust walking trees. It reminded her too much of the Whomping Willow.

"We have decided that it's best that the young hobbits stay here. Treebeard promised me that he will keep you safe until I come for the two of you." Gandalf announced.

"What?" Merry yelped. "What about the quest? What about Frodo and Sam? We promised to help them."

Gandalf moved towards the Hobbits and place a hand on the Hobbit's shoulder. He leaned and Ginny had to strain her ears to hear what he said to them.

"I think you two can mean more to the war and to the quest here." The old man said with a wink.

The hobbits seemed confused, they didn't seem to understand what Gandalf meant but Ginny had already decided that the old wizard looked like Dumbledore. Always riddles and secrets.


	4. About companions

**AN: Thanks again for the reviews! Hereby the fourth chapter!**

 **AN2:**

 _Italic: Thought_

 **Bold: Elvish**

 _ **Italic and Bold: Thoughts in Elfish**_

 ** _Don't forget to review!_**

* * *

 **4\. About companions.**

They ate a little bit more while the group waited till it was dark. Gandalf considered it wise to wait for darkness before the hobbits said goodbye. Treebeard was planning on calling an Entmoet. She wasn't sure what it was but it sounded impressive. It was something Pippin and Merry were excited about. Ginny had the feeling they hoped to participate in the war together with the trees. Though the idea of many more trees like Treebeard was slightly disturbing to her.

Gandalf and the hobbits had talked for a long time about what happened after they got separated in Moria. The hobbits confirmed that at least three of their companions were following them. They suspected Frodo had left the group to finish his quest on his own but they weren't sure what had happened to Sam. They was really worried about their friend Sam but Gandalf told them he trusted the man called Aragorn with any decision regarding the safety of the Hobbits and the success of their quest.

"We should get comfortable for the night." Gandalf commented after they watched the hobbits leave. Ginny nodded but immediately realized that it meant sleeping on the forest floor again. _If I can sleep at all_.

"I don't have blankets or anything for you." Gandalf admitted.

"That's alright." Ginny shrugged. She was a witch after all. She could transfigure a leaf into a blanket if she wanted to. Heck she could conjure up a bed if it was needed.

She pulled out her wand and looked at it. She wondered if her magic would work the same in this strange world as it had done back home. Maybe the rules and laws of magic were different here.

Closing her eyes for a second she searched for her own magic, the steady hum that was always present in a witch or wizard. It was still as present as the day she got hold of her wand and even more important it felt the same as it did just a few days ago. Feeling confident enough in her own magic she bent down to pick up a large leaf. It looked strong enough to endure the transfiguration. She pointed her wand and it and muttered the incantation. Transfiguration and hexes had always been her strongest points. It was almost natural to her. The leaf slowly turned into a think woolen blanket.

Once the blanket had finished changing to Ginny's wishes she heard somebody gasp. She looked up to see Gandalf looking at her in shock.

"What?" She asked.

"How did you do that?"

"Transfiguration. Surely you can do it as well. You're a wizard after all."

"No, Lady Ginevra." Gandalf shook his head. "The power of the Istari lays with wielding the strength given to us by the earth. We can channel energy and bent it to our will. There are stories about powerful Istari being able to change people into something unnatural but not like that."

Ginny looked at him in surprise. He had said he was a wizard, so naturally she took it that he was the same as her, with the same kind of power and that his magic would work the same.

"You can't do transfiguration?" She asked.

"No, not like that."

"What about curses, hexes, shields?" she wondered how this wizard was to battle.

"Curses and shields I can create." Gandalf said with a nod. "Yet, somehow I think it will be different than yours."

Ginny shook her head in confusion. She had never considered differences in magic. In her world everything worked on the same principle. Every witch or wizard had a magical core. At school they learned how to use this core to it's full potential. The core was what gave a witch or wizard power. She knew there were highly skilled witches and wizard could use the earth natural energy to strengthen their magic but in wasn't taught at Hogwarts. Besides that there was no deviation. She would have to see if it Gandalf's magic was so much different from her own.

"Here." Ginny said as she handed Gandalf the blanket. "I'll make an other one." She bent down to pick up another large leaf and transfigured it. She found a place on a flat spot in the moss that looked slightly softer than the rest and wrapped herself with the blanket.

She was terribly tired but sleep wouldn't come. Every time she closed her eyes she relived the final battle again. She saw how the castle she had called her home away from home grumbled into pieces. She saw a curse hit Charlie as it broke through the wards he and Bill had held up for so long. Long enough to evacuate the younger kids. It was a cutting curse. Blood had spilled from every part of his body.

She turned around and tried her other side, she expected that at some point she would fall asleep but after another long time she was still awake. Tears flowed from her eyes and her whole body shook with silent sobs. How could it hurt so much just to be alive?

She cried herself to sleep shortly before sunrise but even sleep didn't give her much peace. She dreamed about Harry, about how their time together had been nothing short of a dream but every time she wanted to kiss him in her dream he looked dead. He was a dead body with empty green eyes. Not really looking, never seeing, his skin covered in cuts and blood.

###########

The girl was a strange creature, that much Gandalf knew the moment he saw her. Somehow he felt protective of her but not because of her power or because she was a witch. It was something unexplainable for him. He knew that she was in pain and danger but to him from the first moment he saw her she felt like a granddaughter to him. Something inside told him that she was important, to him and to the rest of the world. Knowing very well to trust this feeling he acted upon it and began to try to create a bond of trust and friendship between her and himself.

What he had seen her do to a leaf was a whole other level of strange. Stranger than the words she used or the clothes she wore. Intriguing but strange. Her way of wielding magic was so different than his own. He couldn't wait to find out more about her ways of magic.

He heard her cry through the night. He wasn't really tired and stayed a bit more alert incase the forest would wake up. So he heard her soft wails and whimpers. She cried for a long time, softy and to herself. It was heartbreaking to hear such a young woman cry like that.

He knew very little of what had happened to her before she ended up as his companion but he suspected it was horrible. He had seen flickers of her pain. When Pippin asked about fireworks and later when she had talked with the hobbits. She would turn pale white, her eyes would get watery and she looked like she felt sick. Almost like something was torturing her.

It made him wonder how much horror the young woman had seen in the war she had described to him. He became even more apprehensive about letting her get involved in Sauron's war. He hadn't lied to her when he told her he didn't think she would have an option. He couldn't send her to Rivendell or Lothlorien alone, nor could he go with her. Things needed to be finish first. He was needed in Edoras before Rohan fell to Saruman. There wasn't another option than for the young lady to travel with him.

Shortly before sunrise she fell asleep, Gandalf heard her breath calming slightly but she didn't sleep peacefully, she trashed and whimpered constantly. He nearly jumped a league when she suddenly jolted up.

"Harry!" she gasped, grabbing wildly around her. "Harry?" she moaned again. This time her eyes flashed open and Gandalf saw a deep-rooted fear and pain in them. He got up and walked to her. She didn't seem to notice him. It looked like she was still in trance with her dream.

"Are you alright, Ginevra?" Gandalf asked. His words made that she snapped out of it and her eyes met Gandalf's. Her eyes were red rimmed and streaming with tears. Gandalf kneeled down next to her and took her hands in his. "I don't know much about you, Ginevra but I know that you have seen too many horrors already." Ginny blinked her eyes and nodded slightly. "It would do no good to keep your fears and pains locked up, it would ruin you from the inside."

"I can't talk about it, Gandalf. It hurts too much." Ginny whispered between the gasping breaths.

"I know and I won't force you but please don't let the past destroy you. I believe you are here for a reason. I pray and hope that it will lead you to happiness."

Ginny snorted. "I don't think that will be possible for me, everything that made me happy was taken from me, forever."

Gandalf brushed his knuckles over her wet face to wipe away the tears.

"Nobody really knows what the future holds, my dear Ginevra. People can see bits and pieces of it but never the complete truth."

With that Gandalf got up and walked to the edge of the clearing. There was a small stream there. He kneeled down at the edge of it and washed his face.

Ginny watched the man as he kneeled down by the stream. She couldn't and wouldn't believe his words. She wouldn't even dare to feel a little spark of hope. She was in this strange world on the brink of war, nothing happy ever came from a war, only death.

"If you want to bath, you should do it here, after you finished we shall travel towards the edge of the forest, I expect to find my companions there." Gandalf said.

The idea of bathing sounded alluring, she was still covered with blood and dirt but with him there…

"Don't worry, dear. I'll go and find us some food, you can have a little privacy." Gandalf said as if he read her thoughts.

"Thanks." She murmured and got up. Her restless night was still shaking her body and she ached all over. Silently she walked towards the small stream. The water was clear and looked freezing cold but when she kneeled next to it and tested the water with her hand. She was surprised by it's warmth.

"Magic." She hissed. Dipping her hand into the water again she felt a powerful magical current running through the water. It didn't feel evil or dark but rather calming and healing. Was this what Gandalf used to wield his magic? It felt too good to ignore. Without a second thought she stripped down naked and slid into the stream.

The water was warm, soothing and cleansing. It relaxed her aching body and for a while she forgot her sorrows, like they were washed away with the stream. She took time to clean the remaining cuts and wounds and she washed her hair. She almost moaned in pleasure as the water brushed her head.

After lying in the water for a while she realized that Gandalf would return soon, with a heavy sigh she got up and out of the warm water. The heaviness of the days before returned immediately. She picked up her wand and muttered a drying spell. Freeing her hair and her body from any droplets.

Her clothes were torn and dirty. She viewed them from all angles and decided that she could mend them with magic. As she worked her mending and sowing charms she realized that she wasn't as good as her mother had been. A tear escaped as she remembered how her mother would do it, at home, sitting on the sofa, her wand casually waved over thorn clothing.

After they were back in proper condition she soaked her clothes in the stream. It seems to wash away all of the dirt and remains of blood. With a quick cleaning and drying charm her clothes were clean and fresh again.

A noise in the distance snapped her out of her sad memory. As quickly as she could she put on her clothes and gripped her wand tightly. She heard scuffling and the snapping of twig. Who ever or what ever it was, was coming towards her and wasn't making it a secret.

"Lady Ginevra, are you finished and decent?" a familiar voice called. With a sigh she lowered her wand.

"Yes, you can come back, Gandalf."

Gandalf waked towards her with his arms full of fresh fruits.

"Your clothes look a lot better, did you wash them as well?"

"A bit most of it were just sowing and cleaning charms." Ginny explained.

Gandalf looked curious but nodded and handed her half of the fruits he had found.

"Thanks." She murmured as she looked at the variety of fruits. She wasn't hungry, not really, she still felt sick. Like the images of the war had infested her stomach but she recognized that she had eaten only a slice of toast-like elfish bread in more than two days. She really needed to eat.

She sat down on the blankets and nibbled on one of the apples. At least they were the same as in her world.

"We should move soon, I don't want let my companions travel too far into Fangorn. We need to get to Edoras soon." Gandalf commented has he looked up at the sun.

"Why are you in such a hurry to get to that town?"

"King Théoden lives in his Golden Hall in Edoras. From there he rules over Rohan but Saruman has poisoned his mind. I fear war is coming to his country and he is not in a state of defending it."

"What can you do?" Ginny remembered how it felt to have Riddle possess her mind. It needed quite some force to destroy him.

"I don't know yet, it depends on the hold Saruman has over the King."

Ginny nodded. "Who are these companions you talk about?" she asked.

"When we walk, I'll tell you about them." Gandalf said as he got up. Ginny followed him after she took a second to pocket some of the food and return to blankets to their original state.

They walked through the forest for a few hours. It grew darker and darker. Ginny became nervous, she half expected, half feared to walk back into the forbidden forest. She was sure she never wanted to return to that.

As the forest grew thicker and darker her hold on her wand grew tighter. She feared the moment of reaching the edge of the forest. She was sure she would be confronted with the dead bodies of her family.

It was a strange battle inside her. She wished to be dead, to join her family and Harry once more. She ached for the sweet relief death would give her. She would be free from the pain and suffering but her body reacted differently. Something in it fought for survival. Pumping up her heartbeat, making her hearing sharper and her eyes noticed each small change, like she was hunting for Death Eaters.

She prayed that nobody on the good side would jump from behind the trees because her nerves were so frayed at that moment that she would seriously hurt that person. In the hope to calm down she reminded Gandalf of his promise. Maybe if the old man talked she wouldn't be so focused on her fears.

"I have told you how we got separated." Gandalf mused.

"Yeah, some unbelievable tale about a passage under the mountain guarded by creatures named Goblins and a demon." Ginny nodded.

"That's quite a short explanation but fact." Gandalf said with a chuckle. "We were traveling from Rivendell to Mordor with nine companions. Two you have already met. Merry and Pippin. There were two other hobbits, according to Merry, at least Frodo left the fellowship and set on his own path to destroy the ring. Frodo carries a heavy burden. One I fear will destroy him in the end. I hope my fears will remain only fears. I don't think Sam is still with the fellowship. Maybe he went with Frodo or maybe he went home. I cannot see. The others travel too fast to have a hobbit with them." Gandalf looked a bit worried. Ginny got the feeling that Gandalf didn't care much for the antics of the hobbits but he really loved the little folk.

"The others are Aragorn, Son of Arathorn, Gimli, son of Gloin and Legolas of the Woodland realm. A man, a dwarf and an elf."

"An elf?" Ginny asked in surprise.

"Have you heard of the elves before?" Gandalf asked. Not minding her interruption.

"In my world we have elves but I don't think they are the same creatures as the elf you mentioned. In my world we have house-elves. They are tiny creatures that live to serve. They live in ancient wizarding homes and they serve the family there until they die."

"No, Legolas is definitely not like that. Elves in Middle Earth were the first to roam these lands and they are the most beautiful creatures, tall, strong, immortal and good warriors. Legolas is the son of a king and though he is the kindest elf you can meet, he is to be treated with respect. His presence alone demands respect."

Ginny nodded, she had a hard time imagining the elf. Maybe something close to a male Veela.

"And the Dwarf?" she asked.

"Dwarves are a proud race. You insult them very easily but Gimli is good-natured. He'll like you just because you aren't an elf." Gandalf chuckled. "The dwarves live in the mountains, they are natural miners and craftsmen. Gimli of the son of one of the greatest men I ever knew."

"What about this Aragorn, his name sounds almost royal?" Ginny asked when Gandalf fell silent.

"He is." Gandalf said, he sounded slightly impressed but then again, she had always been able to see what was real when it came to people. "Aragorn is from a long line of kings, great king of men but he carries the weight of the Ring and Sauron's survival heavily on his shoulders. He is Isildur's heir and blood. He thinks his blood unworthy of such a responsible task. He fears that he too will be corrupted by evil. That's why he is on this quest. I believe that in the end he'll see his true worth."

As she listened to the old man talking about Aragorn, she winched slightly and a pain ripped through her body, images of Harry flashed through her mind as the memory overtook her.

" _Maybe you should just let it go, Harry, become who you are destined to be. Maybe you should stop fighting it." She told him as she sat down in his lap._

" _I can't Ginny. I'm not what they want me to be." Harry argued. "I'm not strong, I don't have any strange powers that Riddle doesn't have."_

" _Harry! You are the strongest wizard I have ever heard off, maybe even more powerful than Merlin himself. You just have to learn a lot."_

" _A lot! Ginny. I can't become what you want me to be by learning! I need to find some sort of power that Voldemort doesn't have! How will I do that?!"_

" _You just have to become more you. You already are all that you need to be, just get comfortable with who you are." She said with full devotion._

" _What I am? Ginny, what am I? I'm a scrawny boy, a beaten up child, an orphan, a attention seeker, someone that always seemed to be found by trouble and somebody who gets his family and friends killed." Harry shouted heatedly._

" _That's not what I see."_

" _You aren't the most objective person when it comes to me."_

" _Alright, shall we go and ask what Luna sees, or what the twins see in you?! They see the final hope of our freedom, they see a man that would die for his friends, they see a powerful wizard that is prepared to teach them and they see a lovable person just because of his selflessness. Don't you see, they all love you and not because you are a hero but because you are prepared to fight for them, die for them and destroy half the world for them. If the prophecy is true, you had that power the moment he marked you. You shouldn't worry about that, just train, become stronger and more able to defend yourself."_

 _Her rant rang loudly through the air. It was followed by a long silence. Harry continued to stare at her. Suddenly he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into a heated kiss._

" _I don't agree with you but I sure am in love with you." He murmured against her lips._

"Ginevra!" Somebody called loudly. Somebody was shaking her. "Ginevra?"

Her eyes found focus and recognized Gandalf's eyes. It was all just a memory, Harry was dead, he did sacrifice himself for them all, all in vein. Everybody was dead, everybody she loved, except herself.

"Are you feeling alright?" Gandalf asked. She wanted to say no, she wanted to scream in pain, she wanted to beg him to kill her as well but she found herself nodding and her voice saying. "I'm alright, just a memory."

"Don't let them rule you, you are stronger than that." Gandalf told her and let go of her shoulders.

He had easy talking, how could she forget what happened? How could she let go of it? She should be happy with her family and Harry. Now after Voldemort was vanquished they all should live happily in peace. Look at her now, alone, broken and every memory hurt like hell.


	5. Magic

**AN: Happy new year dear readers! I wish you a beautiful 2017 with lots of love, magic and happiness.**

 **AN2:**

 _Italic: Thought_

 **Bold: Elvish**

 _ **Italic and Bold: Thoughts in Elfish**_

 ** _Don't forget to review!_**

* * *

 **5\. Magic**

They walked in silence for another hour or so. The forest was massive, a lot bigger than the forbidden forest back home. Yet, there was also magic in this forest, she could feel its power running through her. It was the same hum she had felt in the stream. It was a strong power, kind and gentle. Though she could also feel an angry more aggressive type of energy flowing.

"This forest…" Ginny started. Gandalf turned to look at her. "It's full of magic."

"It is. Fangorn forest is very old. Once Elves lived here. They worked with the trees, woke them up with their magic. They created shepherds to manage the trees, keep them from evil things. Treebeard is one of the oldest shepherds."

"Can you feel the flows? How it hums?" She asked.

"Yes, that's where we Istari get most of our power from. It is what makes our magic strong."

Ginny nodded and tried to feel the magic again. It was a steady hum, like a heart beat. She felt her magical core absorb the power of the current and instead of fighting it she let it flow. With each second that passed she felt stronger, better and she hated to admit happier.

"What are you doing?" She heard Gandalf ask, his voice was slightly alarmed. She opened her eyes and gasped. Everything was more detailed, she could see sharper and over a longer distance. She could very clearly see the aging lines on Gandalf's face but also a soft pure white glow around him. "Ginevra?"

"I'm…" She sighed and released the magic that had been building up inside her. Her eyesight sight weakened a bit and her body felt a bit heavier. "I was trying to get a feel for the magic in this world. It's so strong. It makes me stronger." She breathed in awe.

"I could see that." Gandalf noticed. "Your magic is as wild as fire, colored like your hair."

"You could see my magic?" Ginny asked in surprise.

"Me and the rest of Middle Earth I presume. It was really bright. You have to be careful doing that, it might draw the wrong attention."

Ginny was shocked. She had seen Gandalf's magic glow, it had been pure white but hers? Flaming red? Like fire? It didn't make the slightest of sense for her magic to bare such a powerful color. In her world red, orange and all colors in between meant something powerful. People always claimed that she was small but powerful. Her hexes could be strong and her transfiguration skills were above the normal but besides that she was just an ordinary witch. She shook her head, another riddle to solve and another mystery in this weird world.

"We shall wait for the others here." Gandalf stated as he looked around him.

"How are you so sure that they will pass this way?" Ginny asked him as she sat down against a young tree.

"Aragorn is a highly skilled tracker, he will follow the ent-tracks, that will bring them here." Gandalf said as he pointed at a dent in the forest floor. She couldn't really make out anything more than a dent and a puddle of mud but she guessed she wasn't made for tracking. Gandalf sat down next to her and looked around. "We should be prepared for anything tomorrow morning. Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas think I'm dead. They only know Saruman as a white wizard. Legolas will see me approach them, I'm not sure if they attack or not."

"I can protect us both easily." Ginny shrugged.

"Can you do that without hurting them?"

"Of course."

Gandalf nodded and looked at her, she was still a strange creature in his eyes. One moment she was so broken, almost begging for death to take her, only to find a strong almost warrior like woman the next. He understood that the horrors she had faced just days ago had broken her heart but her spirit was still strong and fighting for what her heart gave up. He just hoped she would survive long enough to recover from the heartache.

"I would like to see more of your magic, someday." Gandalf mused. "I wonder how similar or different it is from mine. Can you tell me about what you can do?"

Ginny eyed the old man carefully. If there was anything she had learned in the second blood war was not to trust anyone with your knowledge but Gandalf seemed to be honest and one of the people of the light. Besides who or what should she fear here? She would welcome death like an old friend and life maybe less friendly but still…she didn't really care what would happen.

"I don't know if it differs from yours. You saw the transfiguration of the leaf into the blanket. A fully trained wizard in my world with a feeling for transfiguration could change anything within certain laws. Animals into cups, whistles into watches, human into animal, anything mainly. My clothes, I used simple cleaning and sewing charms to mend them. There are all sorts of household charms. I can easily make things fly or come to me. Those are all basic spells. There are much more complicated things, curses, potions, charms, wards. I was about to start my last year of school and haven't had the chance to really learn it all."

Gandalf nodded. "And defensive or offensive? What can you do to protect or when needed kill?" He did notice Ginny flinching when he said that last word.

"A lot." Ginny said after a deep breath to push away the emotions. She waved her wand and muttered "Protego". A shimmer erupted from her wand and wrapped itself around them. "This is the simplest of shields I can produce, Most curses or spells can't penetrate it as long as I keep it strong but when the attacks are strong and frequent I can't hold it for long. Also it won't do much good against a killing curse or any really dark curses. In battle I use it only when I can't dodge the curse or hex. It all depends on the attack. From here I can only go up." She flicked her wand again and a glass bowl like sphere formed around them. "This will keep many objects out but it drains a lot of magic from me. I can't keep this up for long. It's the strongest shield I can create. Wizards only use it when battles are fought with solid attributes like swords or ammunition."

Gandalf looked thoroughly impressed and Ginny smirked. The best was yet to come.

"Offensive, I can be a lot more creative." She flicked her wand again and produced a small dummy in mid air and with another flick she incinerated the dummy. It made Gandalf jump slightly.

"Never before…" he murmured.

"This is nothing, my strongest feat has always been my hexes but my curses are powerful as well."

Gandalf was shocked. He had felt her power, he had thought about how her magic would look but to actually see it in action was something different. Would she ever face the Witch-king or Saruman they wouldn't stand a chance. She would blast them away before they could even start an incantation. Her way of magic was much quicker than that of the Istari. She didn't need long invocations or extensive spells to do damage, just a flick of her wrist was enough. He noticed that most of the time she didn't even spoke the words to the spell.

"The wooden stick, why do you use it?" he asked.

"A wand channels the power of a witch or wizard, it focus the magic and give it direction. I think it's similar to your staff, isn't it?"

"It is." Gandalf nodded. "An interesting thing to bind so much power in such a small thing. Though, very useful, you can hide your weapon much more easily."

Ginny couldn't help but agree; with her wand in its holster strapped to her arm she would look completely defenseless.

"Yes, though I'm not sure about my power on this strange Earth. The magic around here is strong, old and different. It is influencing my own magic, altering it a bit. I may need to practice a bit to see if I can do everything I was able to do."

Gandalf nodded.

"Have you ever had any training with sword or bow?" Gandalf suddenly asked.

"A little." Ginny nodded. She was taken by surprise with this new direction of conversation. Gandalf went from magic to knight's play and physical battle in the blink of an eye. Physical battle was frowned up on by the majority of the wizarding world. One shouldn't sully themselves by something so low as fighting like muggles. Even the more light families considered hand-to-hand fighting below them.

"Really? How much is a little?"

The memory that was triggered with these questions had her shiver with pain. It wasn't a horrific memory but it was a memory that she wasn't ready to face. It was one of her happiest summers and it involved her brother Charlie. It hurt to remember.

"I…" She started as she swallowed away the pain. "I know how to hold sword and strike a blow but I don't think I'll last long in a serious battle."

Gandalf nodded. He had expected that much. Most wizards neglected physical training because of their faith in magic but he knew it was useful to be good with a sword in this world. He took a look at the witch's physique. He decided that he didn't think Ginevra to be completely without physical training, she looked physically strong. She looked like she could wield a light elfish sword pretty well.

"We'll have to ask Aragorn to train you with sword, or Legolas with bow. You have to be able to defend yourself in physical combat as well. Whether you fight in this war or not." He commented.

"Or both." Ginny said with a shrug. She really didn't mind to be taught in sword fighting or archery. She had been interested when she had been little but Quidditch had always been the only real activity for her. Nothing came close to flying on a broom.

"If we can find the time."

Ginny sighed, as they waited she thought about her situation. A bit less than two days she was now in this strange world. Two days since she had lost everything she held dear. Two days since her world fell apart. It wasn't really enough time to really realize what had happened. She still felt like she lived in a dream, a nightmare. Even the strange dark trees around her were slightly dreamlike.

"Am I dreaming, Gandalf?" she asked.

"No, I don't think you are dreaming." He answered her seriously.

"I feel so out of it. So different. Dazed slightly. I cry, it hurts…"

"I understand, your grief is still so severe that it takes time for your mind to catch up with it. For almost everybody it takes time to fully realize what has happened when faced with the enormity of a battle. Some never do. Besides it's not strange for you to feel out of place here. You are out of place here. You come from an other world, that was your home, anywhere else is out of place." Gandalf explained calmly. "You'll have to learn to adept to Middle Earth as your home now. Or at least until we find the reason of you coming here and a way to get you back home."

"I don't know if I want to go home." Ginny whispered. "I don't have a home anymore, everything there is destroyed."

"I'm sure Middle Earth will be happy to welcome you if you choose this to be your home."

"A world in war… how did I end up here." Ginny sighed. "How am I supposed to feel at home in a world where war is threatening?"

"Love and acceptance can be found in the darkest of time. You just have to allow it to happen. Not to fight it." Gandalf said.

"Could you do it? Go on with it? Without knowing where it will take you, not knowing if you end up more hurt than when you started?"

"Do we have a choice?" Gandalf asked.

"What do you mean? You always have a choice, free will."

"Do you really? You ended up in Middle Earth not by choice, did you?"

"I was wishing for an escape from my world." Ginny muttered.

"But something or someone decided that it was to be Middle Earth and now you're here you have only a few choices you can make. You can choose to leave and go your own way, with all the risks it will bring you. You can choose to join Sauron or you can choose to join those who fight for their freedom. You can even choose to end your life. However to be able to live a happy life…it leaves you without many choices."

Ginny nodded and understood what Gandalf was saying. Even back home, she had a choice. Join Voldemort or fight along with the D.A. To gain the happy life she had always dreamed off she had no choice. It was to fight.

"Did you choose to fight for your own happiness?" She asked Gandalf.

"No, I knew before I found the ring with Bilbo that my time on Middle Earth was limited. I have wandered this world for longer than a young woman like you can imagine. I will return home soon. I was asked by the Valar to come to Middle Earth and council those who are to fight Sauron but in all honesty I just want to see the glory days of men return, to see Middle Earth live in peace. When that is accomplished I can return to Valinor in peace."


	6. Companions

**AN: As a new years gift I post two chapters today.**

 **AN2:**

 _Italic: Thought_

 **Bold: Elvish**

 _ **Italic and Bold: Thoughts in Elfish**_

 ** _Don't forget to review!_**

* * *

 **6\. Companions.**

Ginny had another restless night. Gandalf's explanation of having no choice but to fight if she wanted to be able to live and her desire to die and join her family fought a heavy battle inside her head and heart. Apparently there was still a part inside her that wanted a chance. A part that wanted to survive to see what life would offer her.

It made her dreams erratic and disturbing. She woke up twice by the screams coming from herself. Twice more she woke up, bathing in sweat and whimpering against the pain these dreams created. Her dreams were plagued with visions of Harry's death but the setting wasn't always Hogwarts. Sometimes it was a strange fortress or a damp and dark forest. She didn't even see her family, only Harry. Always Harry, going from a perfectly happy moment to what seemed like the darkest of horror stories. Blood, pain and death everywhere.

Gandalf had been there every time, soothing her, whispering calming words. He had been like a grandfather to her. Later in the morning after they got ready for the day he had offered her a chance to talk about it again. He told her that once his companions would arrive time to talk would become less but Ginny couldn't. It had not been three days ago that her world broke into pieces, it was still too fresh.

"We should get ready." Gandalf murmured as he extinguished his pipe. Ginny nodded.

"Somebody is here. Close by." She whispered. She had been feeling an extra presence in the woods. Somebody with some sort of magic flowing from him. "I can feel at least one new magical being close by. His or her magic flows through the forest. It's so easy to feel it in this world."

Gandalf nodded. "Let's meet them. The sooner we are on our way the better." Gandalf walked forward slowly. "Stay behind me."

Ginny didn't need to be told that twice. Somehow the air of the forest started to get tense. It felt like the trees started to get angry. The trees were creaking, they gave a warning. She didn't like the feeling much.

As she followed Gandalf she heard sounds a little bit further away of people talking. She pulled her wand out of its holster and raised it. She saw that Gandalf was summoning some of his magic. His aura started to glow. His pure white light was illuminating the dark forest around them.

Again the sound of people speaking reached her.

"Do not let him speak, he'll put a spell on us." She heard a man say.

Gandalf stepped forward to confront the speaking man. In the light the wizard was emitting Ginny was able to make out the speaker. He had his sword raised. He looked ready to strike. Suddenly she heard the sound of something flying towards them and in an instinctual reaction she wrapped a shield around her and Gandalf. With a bang she saw an axe bounce of the shield and shatter. A second later it was followed by an arrow that met the same end.

Gandalf showed his real magic for the first time. The sword of the man in the front turned red hot. Like an extreme heating spell. The man quickly dropped it to prevent that his hands were burned severely.

She looked around, the blonde still had his arrow tight on his bow and the small one had his next ax ready. Deciding that they were still a threat so she kept her shield up. Though it was with difficulty. She tried to pull from the magic that flowed through the earth to keep her shield steady and was surprised that it worked so easily.

"You are tracking the footsteps of two young hobbits." Gandalf spoke, his voice vibrating with magic. "They passed this way, the day before yesterday. They met someone they didn't expect, does that comfort you?"

Ginny was sure that this wizard was Dumbledore reincarnated, his feeling for drama and grandeur was just as weird and impressive. As were his riddles.

"Who are you!" the man in the front demanded. "Show yourself."

With a smile that Ginny knew was mocking them Gandalf released the magic and dimmed his light.

"It can't be." The man whispered. "You fell."

"Through fire and water." Gandalf answered, as an experienced storyteller he told the men about his journey. Ginny had heard this story before and took her time to look at the three travelers. The man who had spoken was probably Aragorn. She hadn't been wrong about him. He had something regal about him. With a stab of pain she realized he looked a bit like Sirius. Roughish look, long dark hair, strong face and sad eyes. She wondered if he was just as nice as Sirius.

The short man was the dwarf, Gimli. He had a long reddish brown beard and hair. He wore heavy armor, multiple axes and a helmet that looked very heavy. Beside that Ginny thought he had a friendly look to him. He was definitely not as scary as she expected him to be from Gandalf's stories about dwarves.

To the far left stood the Elf. Her jaw dropped as she looked at the beautiful being. He was definitely not a house-elf! His blond long hair, his fair perfect skin, sea green eyes and muscled body were stunning. _Surely Veela's are related to these elves_ , she mused. Legolas, as Gandalf had named him wore a dark green cloak, green breaches, leather boots and a darker green tunic. Ginny could see it was decorated but she wasn't close enough to see the details.

As their stance turned less offensive Legolas lowered his bow and Gimli kneeled. It was for her enough to lower her shield. She did so with an exhausted sigh. Keeping up that shield was very draining even with the aid of the energy around her.

"Gandalf." The man said. The others followed in a whisper.

"Gandalf?" The wizard asked. His expression was comical. Like he just heard that name for the first time. It almost made Ginny laugh. It was all a part of coming back to the world of the living and introducing himself as Gandalf the white, theatrics. There was no doubt left in her, this was Dumbledore in a new body. "Yes, that was my name, Gandalf the Gray. I am Gandalf the White and I come back to you at the turn of the tide."

Ginny listened to the power that resonated from the wizard. This wasn't the Gandalf she had come to know over the last two days. Perhaps this was his face towards the outside world. To her he had seemed more a grandfather but now she realized he was also a figure of power, a leader. She really liked the old man, his sense of humor and antic but also his wisdom and kindness.

After their initial greetings Gandalf turned towards her and smiled.

"Come here, my dear, I'll introduce you."

With her head held up high and a deep gulp of air she stepped out of the shadows. She felt a bit nervous to meet these new people. Gandalf had told enough about them to her to form a great respect for the men.

She wondered if they were different than the people back in England but she knew she had nothing to fear. Either they would accept her as Gandalf's friend or they would see her as a traitor or something dangerous and kill her. At this point in time she could agree with both options.

She watched as all three men's eyes widened at her appearance.

"This is lady Ginevra, though she might correct me to name her Ginny." Gandalf said with a wink towards her. "She is an Istar."

At his words all three men immediately bowed to her. She knew from Gandalf's stories that all races of Middle Earth honored or feared the Istari but this was a bit too much. The bowing and the submission were just weird. She wasn't any better than a man or elf.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, milady." Aragorn said with his head bowed. A bit uncomfortable with these formal greetings Ginny glanced at Gandalf. He smiled and nodded. She took another deep breath and stepped towards Aragorn. She held out a hand and placed it on his shoulder. At her touch he looked up in surprise.

"Please do not bow to me. The pleasure is all mine, Aragorn." Ginny whispered. His eyes widened a bit when he heard her saying his name but he stood up and nodded at her with a smile. Ginny smiled back, there was so much kindness in this man's eyes, she felt slightly overwhelmed by it.

When the others kept their heads down she moved towards Gimli.

"You too, Gimli, please do not bow for me."

The dwarf harrumphed and a small chuckle escaped from him. "Okay, lass. As you wish." He got up and shook her hand.

With another deep breath she turned to the elf. She felt different when it came to the elf. She wasn't sure why but somehow she desired his approval the most.

"A pleasure to meet you, Legolas." She said softly. He looked up at her and met her eyes. The force and the depth of the emotions in them nearly knocked her of her feet. They were even more stunning as she initially thought.

As she got closer she felt a soft energy coming from him. This man, elf, was the source of the magic she had felt before. A kind and loving magic but strong. Very strong. "Like I said there is no need to bow for me. I feel I should be the one to bow to all of you." Her voice was shaking slightly.

Legolas got up and nodded at her.

"The Istari are seen as a very powerful race on Arda. It would only do you good to treat them with the same respect as you treat a king." Legolas explained.

"There is no such need, Gandalf told me a lot about you all. Friends of Gandalf are friends of mine. You should not fear me nor treat me differently." Ginny answered with a smile. She was happy that the three men accepted her so easily. She could only hope that when it came to using her magic in front of them they would still be so accepting. Compared to what she had seen from Gandalf's magic, hers was much more terrifying and wild. It could easily scare those unfamiliar with such a power away.

Gandalf nodded and place a hand on her shoulder.

"We should move." He told the group. He softly steered Ginny in the right direction. "One part of your journey is over, an other begins. We should travel to Edoras with great speed."

"Edoras? That's no short journey." The dwarf muttered.

"We heard rumors, that it goes ill with the king." Aragorn said as he walked next to Gandalf. "Yes, Saruman's hold on Théoden is strong, I feel it." Gandalf nodded, "We should make haste."

"What about the hobbits!" Gimli asked. "We can't leave them in this dark damp tree invested…" the air in the forest tightened and Ginny felt seriously threatened. "Oh, charming, quite charming forest."

"It was more than mere chance that brought Merry and Pippin to Fangorn. A great power has been sleeping here for many long years. The coming of Merry and Pippin will be like the falling of small stones that starts an avalanche in the mountains." Gandalf said to Gimli.

"In one thing you haven't changed my dear friend." Aragorn said with an amused smile. "You still speak in riddles."

Ginny looked over her shoulder to see how Gandalf would react. Would he explain? With a sense of loss she remembered how Dumbledore used riddles to get Harry ready for what he needed to do. It taught them to really think about the words and not just trust what is being said.

"A thing is about to happen that has not happened since the Elder Days. The Ents are going to wake up and find that they are strong." Gandalf said with a smile.

"Strong?" Gimli asked. To Ginny the dwarf almost sounded scared and she couldn't blame him. She had seen Treebeard, she could imagine the destruction a whole bunch of such trees could create.

"So stop your fretting, Master Dwarf." Gandalf reprimanded the dwarf, "Merry and Pippin are quite safe. In fact, they are far safer than you are about to be." Gandalf was laughing at the dwarf and winked at Ginny as she followed him through the trees. The dwarf behind them was still muttering.

"Have you ever traveled by horse, Ginevra?" Gandalf asked as they made their way through the forest.

"No, but I have traveled on Thestrals before. They are similar to horses." She answered. Again the memory hurt, she winched slightly and fought against the tears that were threatening to rip her heart in two. "Will we travel to Edoras by horse?"

"Yes, it's the fastest way to cross the country."

Ginny nodded. She had always loved animals, horses in particular but by means of transport, she considered broom and apparition a far better idea. With a sad sigh she realized that they were a part of her past. No magical brooms here and the others couldn't apparate. She wasn't even sure if she could in this world.

############

While they walked back to the plains Legolas couldn't help but stare at the young woman that accompanied Gandalf. She was different from any woman he had even encountered before. Her flaming red hair, her pale freckled skin, even her eyes were different. They were deep, full of fire but veiled by a deep hurt and sadness. The soul that was visible in those deep brown eyes looked very old.

Her clothes were different too. It wasn't what traditionally a woman of any race should wear but somehow it fitted her. Her tight breeches wrapped around long slender legs. The way-too-short tunic showed even more female features. Many women he knew would feel very uncomfortable in those clothing but she didn't, she moved with confidence.

As an elf he had always been in touch with the flows of the Earth. He felt the power of Arda flowing through him constantly but she emitted something stronger. Even stronger than the magic he felt flowing from Gandalf. He knew she is a force to reckon with and maybe even fear.

He listened to her talk to Gandalf, she spoke to him with a familiarity that indicated they were old friends but she couldn't be older than seventeen summers. The words she used were different too. They weren't without respect but differently. Even when she had spoken to them her words had been respectful but not formal.

He hadn't been surprised that she knew their names, Gandalf would have told her about them but he was surprised that she the way she greeted them. Like she didn't realize how powerful the Istari were.

She was a mystery and he couldn't help but feeling drawn to her. In some strange way.


	7. Traveling

**AN: Thanks for the reviews so far. To Ej101, I'm not going to give you an answer to that question. Ginny's relationship with the Valar will be a plot line, one which can be a sore thing as they ditched in Middle Earth.**

 **AN2:**

 _Italic: Thought_

 **Bold: Elvish**

 _ **Italic and Bold: Thoughts in Elfish**_

 ** _Don't forget to review!_**

* * *

 **7\. Traveling.**

The sunlight was very bright when they reached the open field. Ginny squinted her eyes and raised her hand to shield herself from the sun. Back home they had lived in darkness for so long. They had never dared to venture out and even when they went outside the presence of the dementors made everything dark and chilly. Her eyes needed to get used to the bright sun but it felt really good on her body.

Next to her Gandalf whistled a tune. She looked up in surprise and he smiled at her.

"Look." He whispered as he nodded toward a part of the empty field.

A short while later a beautiful white horse appeared, it was racing toward them with great speed.

"That is one of the Mearas, unless my eyes are cheated by some spell." Legolas whispered in awe.

"Shadowfax. He is the lord of all horses ...and has been my friend through many dangers." Gandalf said as the horse stopped in front of them. Ginny felt the similar awe, as she had heard in Legolas's voice. The horse was magnificent. Its deep eyes looked wise, like the phoenix Dumbledore had owned.

"Hello Shadowfax." She whispered and raised her hand to brush his nose. The horse whined a bit and leaned in to be patted more intensely. It seemed to crave contact. "You are absolutely beautiful." She murmured.

Gandalf smiled at them. Ginny didn't even notice that the others looked at her in shock. Never before had the lord of the horses been so amicable with a human. Istar or not.

"Ginevra, I think it's best you travel with Aragorn. It will be more comfortable for you to sit in a saddle."

She looked up at Gandalf and then to Aragorn. He was standing next to a dark horse. Looking back to Shadowfax, she nodded.

"Okay." She patted the horse once more and turned to walk towards Aragorn.

"I will get up first and then I will heave you up, alright?" Aragorn said as he fastened his sword to the saddle. Ginny nodded. She didn't know any other way to get onto the horse anyway. Aragorn agilely climbed on the horse. It looked like he was born on one. Once he was seated he held his hand out to her. "Hold on tightly, I'll lift you up in one go." Ginny grabbed his wrist while he wrapped his large hand around hers, suddenly she was air born and trusted gently into the saddle.

She took a second to settle herself properly behind Aragorn. It felt a bit strange, sitting so close to a stranger. She was completely pressed against him. It got even stranger when they started to move. It wasn't scary but she didn't feel secure in the saddle and wrapped her arms around Aragorn.

"It is alright, hold on to me, milady," he said to calm her nerves a bit. "We are going a bit faster soon."

A bit faster was a bit of an understatement. Gandalf sure was in a hurry all right. Aragorn and Legolas really had to spur the horses on to keep up with Gandalf and Shadowfax. All the while the dwarf was muttering and grumbling about this way of travel.

As Ginny expected with this pace rest didn't come soon. They only stopped twice for a very short time to let the horses rest and drink a bit during the day. After four hours of galloping across the country her bum started to hurt. Suspecting that Gandalf wouldn't stop for rest until after dark she pulled out her wand and casted a numbing spell over herself.

It made her feel a lot better and more relaxed in the saddle. She leaned a bit back to see the scenery. The plains of Rohan were rolling grasslands with every now and then a hill or a collection of large boulders. Far in the distance she could see mountains. What was most surprising to her was how empty this country was. Back home you could travel only so far without spotting something human made. Here they were traveling mile after mile and she hadn't even seen a house. She decided that she like the country this way, untainted and clean.

They stopped shortly before midnight in a small open place on a hill that was surrounded by a few large boulders so that they would be shielded from the wind. Aragorn started to collect wood to start a small fire so that they could heat some water. When he returned he build a small pit for his fire and pulled out what seemed to Ginny a muggle fire-making tool. She stopped him before he could go through the trouble of making a fire muggle style.

"Let me." she whispered to him and pointed her wand towards the dry wood. "incendio." She muttered and a small spark left her wand, igniting the dry wood immediately. She looked at it with a smile. The energy of this earth wasn't altering her simplest of spell and their moderations. If anything her magic started to feel stronger and more controllable.

The four inhabitants of Middle Earth looked at her in surprise. Every mouth a bit open and eyes wide. She hadn't thought about their reactions to her strange magic. She just did it. Used it whenever needed. It was just as much a part of her as her flaming red hair and famous temper.

When after a few minutes the men were still gaping at her and she got irritated. "What?" she asked. It seemed to snap the men out of it.

"It's nothing, milady. We are just surprised by your abilities." Aragorn quickly apologized. Ginny smiled at him and nodded.

"Thank you, I only wanted to help you."

Aragorn smiled carefully at her. She could see in his eyes that he was slightly scared by her. The other two had the same look in their eyes. She wasn't sure if it was fear or distrust. She only hoped that soon they would realize that she was on the good side. Whatever that was in this earth.

After a short explanation from Gandalf about Ginny's magic they all relaxed and sat down around the fire as well. Legolas handed her a piece of lembas but she refused. She wasn't hungry and she still had an apple with her.

"You really should eat more." Gandalf muttered to her.

"I'm not hungry." She shrugged.

Gandalf didn't argue with her and let her eat her apple in silence. The others talked a bit about their travels on Gandalf's request. They retold the story of the Uruks attack and how one of their companions died. Ginny didn't really listened to them. She felt no need for more deadly and bloody stories in her life. She leaned back and looked up at the sky. The stars were so bright, much more bright than on earth.

With a tearing pain she remembered the nights she spend with Harry out by the lake. They had been stargazing regularly. Just to enjoy the peace and silence of it all. It had been a magical time in her fifth year. Harry had made her feel loved and adored. He told her stories about his life under the bright stars. He would share his deepest feeling with her. She had been so sure that she and Harry would get married and have a bless life together during those moments.

After Dumbledore died she realized that death was always lurking, even for the most powerful. She saw her idea of a future life crumble as Harry left and when the battle started she felt it deep with in her soul that Harry wouldn't survive. She hoped and prayed for another outcome but somehow she had known.

"Lady Ginevra!" somebody called her. She shook her head slightly to clear it and looked up at the elf standing in front of her.

"Sorry, I was lost in my memories." She whispered.

"I offered you my sleeping pack." Legolas said with a smile. He held out a thick mat and a blanket.

"What about you?" she asked.

"I will sleep on the floor."

"Thank you but that won't be necessary." She said with a thankful smile. She glanced around for a leaf or a piece of fabric but she didn't find one. "Perhaps you have a small cloth for me."

The elf looked confused at her but after a second he walked back to his traveling pack and pulled something out.

"I do not see why this would help you sleep milady but as you wish." He held out something that looked like a bandage. She took it and flipped it over in her hand. It was strong enough to make a fine blanket. She took her wand and looked up at the elf. He was watching her intently. His sea colored eyes fixed on her. She smiled at him before returning her attention to the small cloth. With a soft whisper the cloth turned into a thick woolen blanket that was big enough to wrap two people.

"I guess I overdid that." Ginny murmured as she inspected the blanket.

"How?" The elf asked in shock.

Ginny looked up at the shocked elf and chuckled. He was even more shocked than Gandalf had been.

"As Gandalf says my magic is not the same as his." Ginny said softly. "I guess things I can do will always be a surprise to you all."

She watched as Legolas struggled with her words. It took him a while before he really understood her.

"It is impressive but strange. I have the feeling we might see many more strange things from you, milady."

"Perhaps." Ginny nodded. "And please, it's Ginny. No Ginevra, no milady, just Ginny."

"I'll try." He said with a bow and returned to his place around the fire.

Wrapped up in her blanket Ginny realized that she was really tired. Three nights of not sleeping much and the aching of the healing cuts and bruises from the battle were starting to get to her. Yet she felt little hope that she would have a peaceful night. She felt restless and though she had a lot of new things to think about, her mind still seemed to be processing the battle at Hogwarts. She placed herself against the boulder with her face turned away from the fire. She carefully wrapped herself with the blanket so that she was fully shielded from the light and closed her eyes.

She really tried so hard to fall asleep but closing her eyes meant opening her mind to the horrid images of the last battle. Especially the eyes of the dead. She saw them all staring into nothingness.

" _Neville? Neville! Please don't be dead!" She screamed. She had wandered through a destroyed hall looking for Harry, Hermione and Ron. She had recognized Neville amongst the bodies. Her friend, her shoulder to cry on for the last year, her supporter in the D.A. was now dead. "Oh Merlin no." she whimpered, tears started to stream._

 _A loud blast drew her attention away from her grief. She got up and ran towards the sound, somebody was screaming like he or she was in great pain. She ran around the corner and found Death Eaters blocking her path. They were torturing one of the teachers. She didn't think twice, she raised her wand and shouted, "Sectumsempra!" To her absolute horror one of the Death Eaters grumbled and blood spurted from his throat and stomach, he died a second later. She had killed._

 _The feeling of killing somebody ripped through her. She didn't do it for pleasure but she some how felt satisfied. And that made her really sick. She was a murderer. She wasn't better than the Death Eaters._

 _Much chance to think on it she didn't get, the other Death Eater attacked her only seconds after. Harry had been just in time to shield her from the deathly curse._

" _Neville is dead, Harry." She had muttered when the other Death Eater was dealt with. "Neville got killed. Please end this, Harry, please make it all stop." Her tears had flowed freely._

Ginny never noticed that she had slipped from a memory into a dream. Though it didn't make much difference, she continued crying even in her sleep.

L&G&L&G&L&G&L&G

The men around the campfire were looking at her sleeping form. A small bundle wrapped up in a thick blanket. They all could see her body shaking slightly. All four were worried and Legolas got up to check on her.

"Let her be, Legolas." Gandalf whispered.

"Why? She is in pain. Can you not feel it? She needs help." The elf protested. He felt her pain seeping from her. It was one of the many gifts of the elves. They had always been more sensitive to emotions of others but this pain was so strong that even a thickheaded dwarf could feel it.

"It is heartbreaking to hear her like this, Gandalf." Aragorn said as he glanced worriedly to the red headed girl.

"I know, Aragorn, I know. Three nights she has been with me. Three nights she has been crying. She even screams in her dream. Sometimes I hear her plead with somebody. I know it is heartbreaking but she does not seem to be able to talk about her pain."

The others looked at the young woman again.

"How did she come to be your friend? Where does she come from?" Aragorn asked the wizard.

"What happened to her?" Gimli asked.

"How did she come to be in so much pain?" Legolas pressed. He winched slightly as Ginny whimpered a bit more loudly.

Gandalf sighed and closed his eyes. He knew he had to tell his companions at some point the true story about Ginevra but he did not know how to explain them things he did not understood himself. Also he was not sure if he should tell them without Ginevra there but he valued the truth above all so he sighed again and looked at his friends.

"Ginevra is not from Middle Earth. She is from a world very different than ours. Somehow, by means unknown to me, she ended up in Middle Earth." Gandalf started, all three men looked severely shocked but didn't speak so he continued. "Three days ago, late in the night I saw her running through Fangorn forest. It was like she was running away from some enemy. I was not sure if she was an enemy or not so I kept my distance. As you have seen she is very powerful. I know all three of you feel her magic flowing from her. I was so intrigued by her that I followed her. After few minutes she stumbled and remained on the floor like a broken body. She was covered with wounds and bruises. When she woke up she was begging me to kill her. She so deeply wants to die. If you watch her closely you can see it in her eyes."

Aragorn and Legolas looked almost sick but Gandalf pressed on.

"She really begged but I could not give her that, I would never do that. Instead I healed most of her wounds and talked to her a little. I told her everything about Middle Earth. When I told her about Sauron and the coming war she said she did not want to fight another war."

"Another?" Gimli asked. "She's a young girl, a woman! Why would she have fought in a war before? That is no place for a woman." The others nodded in agreement.

"Here on Middle Earth and with human women, yes. I would agree but the two things you all saw her do with her magic were just simple things. She does those things easily. Childs play compared to what she can really do with her small staff. She gave me a short demonstration yesterday, even the small things she showed me were more than I could ever do."

"But fighting in a war…" Legolas whispered.

"She does not tell much about what happened to her but from what I understand in her world a magical war was fought. It must have been terrible to haunt her so badly and I think she has lost a lot of important people in her life but she fought in it. As young as she might be, she has already seen a lot of the horrors a war can create."

"Still, she cannot fight here." Gimli muttered. "If such a young lass has seen so much of war already we should make sure she stays out of this one, it would not be fair to her."

"I'm afraid that we do not have a choice in that. We cannot send her somewhere safe, no place will truly be safe and we cannot let her go alone. If Sauron or Saruman find out about her existence… I do not want to imagine how hunted she will be."

To that the others agreed.

"I wanted to ask you, Aragorn and you, Legolas to find a bit of time to teach her how to wield a sword and bow. I think she will be a quick learner and though I am sure she can protect herself with her magic, she might come into situations where she will need to use a sword or bow."

Aragorn nodded, he wasn't happy about it but Gandalf had a point.

L&G&L&G&L&G&L&G&L

Legolas looked at the shaking form of the girl again. She looked so fragile, so broken. Rolled up in her blanket, he couldn't imagine her fighting a battle. Deep down he knew that one day she would have to fight again. Gandalf had been right. As long as Sauron survived the young but very powerful woman would never be safe.

He shuddered as another whimper escaped the young woman. She was in so much pain. He had only once felt it before and that was when Lord Elrond's wife decided to sail for Valinor. The pain Lord Elrond had felt as he waved his wife goodbye had been as deep and rough as the pain coming from the red head. It was so deep that Legolas wondered if even after she dealt with the grief and time healed her wounds Ginny would ever truly be happy again. He shook his head. Not even seventeen summers old and already doomed, he couldn't believe that. He would not believe that.

He had joined the fellowship with his homeland in mind. He would do anything to see the glory of the woodland realm restored. He longed for the peace and beauty to return there. Also he had imagined that, would they succeed, at least there would be a future for him and his people. Maybe even an elleth and an elfling if the Valar had plans like that for him.

Now he felt his motives change.

He would still do anything to ensure his people the freedom they so longed for but after feeling so much pain in such a beautiful young woman he felt he would fight just to make sure she would get a chance to heal and give her a future.

Holding on to this feeling Legolas promised to himself that he would do anything to keep her safe from Saruman and Sauron. He would fight to protect her from all that could haunt her in Middle Earth so that one day she could be happy again.

It was irrational and illogical but he did what his heart told him to do.

Soon after Gandalf's story the others decided it was time to get some well-earned rest. While he was tired from the days of running after the Uruks, he couldn't find rest. The soft crying woman kept him awake. After an hour of trying to ignore it he got up and walked towards the young red head.

He looked down at her sleeping face. It was barely visible. Almost completely hidden by the blanket and the thick red hair. He had never seen hair like fire before. It was curly, thick and strong. He found it beautiful.

Her face was contorted with pain and she was still shaking slightly. He heard her softly moaning in her sleep. She was begging for something. The sound cut through him like a hot knife. He couldn't take it anymore.

He carefully sat down next to her and placed one of his hands on her back. He was careful not to wake her. Softly he started to sing a calming song in elfish. It was a song his mother sang to him when he was just a young boy.

He concentrated on soothing her pain and calming her slightly. For as long as he sang it seemed to work but after a while he grew really tired. They had run for many days without any rest. Even for an elf it was hard to keep that up. With a sad look he got up and walked back to his sleeping place. As soon as his song stopped her whimpering returned. The pain this girl was suffering was rooted soul deep. It would take a lot of time for her to heal from it.

 _ **Elbereth, please help your daughter. She is in need of healing**_ _,_ Legolas thought as he stared up to the stars.


	8. Testing Magic

**AN:**

 _Italic: Thought_

 **Bold: Elvish**

 _ **Italic and Bold: Thoughts in Elfish**_

 ** _Don't forget to review!_**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Testing Magic**

With a jolt she sat up, the last thing she remembered of her dream was her family. Her father and mother calling for her, begging her to come to them but they were dead. Their bodies were laying in pieces on the floor in front of her. How she wished she could join them. She pointed her wand at herself and tried to summon the hatred she needed to make the killing curse work. From a distance she heard herself say the words. "Avada kedavra"

She snapped her eyes open in panic and looked around her. It took a moment to remember that she was still very much life and in another world. She sat up with her back against the boulder. The thick blanket still wrapped around her to shield her from the cold.

She thought about her dream for a time. It had shaken her badly and she hated the panic and weakness it left her in. So she tried to analyze it. It was so alluring to just die; it wouldn't be too hard to kill herself. She would be with her family again if she was just able to turn her wand on herself but something was stopping her. Even in her dreams she woke up before she could die.

It felt very surreal just five days ago when she got her last sleep back at Hogwarts, she had dreamed about emerald eyed, red haired kids running around her and now she dreamed about dying. She dreamed about killing herself. She wondered if she would dream about something else ever again.

Shaking herself out of it again she looked around, it was still dark. Gandalf was sitting on one of the boulders, smoking his pipe. He was staring to the east. She turned to look at the east as well, wondering what he was staring at so intensely. She could see the sun was about to rise but dark clouds prevented it to shine brightly. The clouds looked unnatural to her.

"Mordor?" She asked as she silently got up and walked towards the wizard.

"Hmmm, Sauron is moving, he is gathering forces. His war will come swiftly." Gandalf muttered. He looked up at her with pleading eyes. "Believe me, I do not want you to be a part of this war, I really do…"

"But it will happened anyway." Ginny finished for him. She knew this. It was a fact, one that she couldn't change. She felt as elated as she felt depressed by that notion. A war, it created a good chance that she would get herself killed, thus rejoining her family. Right now her heart wanted it above all but she knew that she would never let herself be easily killed, something in her wanted to survive. She just wasn't ready for another round of war horrors.

"Yes." Gandalf nodded.

Ginny looked out at Mordor. It looked like a sore on the face of the earth. It was dark, unnatural and dangerous.

"How powerful is he?" She asked.

"Very. The ring he has created can turn even the purest of elves into darkness. Even I don't dare to touch it."

She nodded and continued to stare at the darkness. There was a being, a monster, a mere heartless creature, ruining the life of so much goodness. The fact that five very different races felt the need to make alliances to destroy it to ensure their future was all telling. The dark lord of middle earth was as dark or even darker than the dark lord back home. As she remembered the last two years of her live she couldn't even start to imagine what it would be like to live under Sauron's rule.

The fact that Sauron was to be claimed more powerful than a wizard like Gandalf scared her slightly. Whether or not she wanted it she was now a part of this world and she couldn't face the darkness she had endures the last two years ever again. The idea alone made her survival instinct kick in. She felt a compelling need to prepare for something unknown. Like Harry had said, _how can we fight if we aren't prepared?_ He started almost every D.A. meeting with it. It was to rally the group up. To get them too work. She could almost hear him yell at her to be prepared. It hurt but she wouldn't defy him.

"I still don't know what kind of magic I can do here. Most spell seem to work the same but I need to try." She murmured. "Is it safe here?" She asked.

"To do your magic?"

Ginny nodded.

"Nowhere is safe, Ginevra but if you feel the need to practice you should do it. Just don't draw too much magic from the earth, it might draw unwanted attention."

Ginny nodded and walked away from the hilltop, just far enough that the others wouldn't wake by the sounds she made. On her way she picked up a thick wooden stick and a fairly large rock, they would be her practicing targets.

She checked if she was out of view from Gandalf and the others. Once satisfied that she could train without being disturbed she laid the rock and stick down in front of her.

"Engorgio." She muttered twice and the stick and rock grew three times their original size. Pleased that the spell worked the same she set off with a set of simple spells, levitating, summoning and banishing. They all worked properly and with her magic. It felt more natural here. Like she could do anything she wanted to do as long as she knew the words and wand movement. Core power didn't seem to be an issue anymore. She knew that would she draw strength from this with magic invested earth she would produce much stronger or complicated spells.

She turned to the large rock and attacked it with her famous bat-bogey hex. She smiled when that turned out to be even stronger than it had been on earth. She pointed her wand at the wooden stick and whispered, "Confringo!" The wood was immediately engulfed in flames and seconds later there was nothing left but ash. With an even wider smile, she left herself absorb just a small bit of the magic of Middle Earth and pointed her wand at the rock, "Expulso." Though she had said it in a small whisper, the rock exploded with a loud bang and shard flew everywhere. She had only a second to pull up a shield but her reflexes were still sharp and the chards flew past her.

"Perfect." She whispered to herself with a smile. Only to feel gutted the next moment. She wished Harry were there with her. Maybe if he had fought Voldemort in such a magic invested world he would have survived. Before the grief and useless wishing took her over she shook her head. Voldemort had been a very clever wizard, he would have known how to use the extra power as well. Harry might have been dead the first time.

Thinking about Harry made her wonder about dueling and the spells he taught them to duel with. Would she be able to disarm an enemy if he only had a sword? It worked on wands and she was fairly sure that, that included a wizard's staff as well but a muggle weapon? Swords were made of steel and were reflective. Spells could easily bounce of the reflective surface. Not to mention enemies with heavy armor. Like Gimli's full body armor. Steel had been an issue back in her world, the only reason wizards and witches didn't wear it in duels were because they made any movement difficult and ever armor had weak points. Points where spells could easily penetrate.

As she mulled this over she walked back to the campsite. When she got there the others were slowly waking up. Quietly stepping around the men she walked towards Gandalf.

"Could you offer me some assistance?" She asked carefully.

"Certainly, with what do you need help, my dear?" Gandalf said with a soft smile.

"I want to know if my disarming spell works on muggle weapons and if reflective material like armor will be an issue with my spells but I need an opponent to try that." Gandalf looked confused and a bit apprehensive at her. "It won't be dangerous, I'll keep it simple and I'll be careful. The only thing that should happen is that a sword will be snapped out of your hands. It works on magical weapons but swords are muggle made. I'm just not sure about these non magical weapons."

Gandalf nodded and was about to get up when Aragorn spoke.

"I will help you, lady Ginevra. I'm stronger and more trained in wielding a sword."

"I don't think that will make a difference but if you insist." Ginny shrugged. It made her feel slightly better that Aragorn would be her target and not the elder wizard. She didn't plan to do anything dangerous but accidents do happen. Gandalf nodded at her and followed her and Aragorn down from the hill back to where she had been practicing before.

"What do you want me to do?" Aragorn asked her as she turned around to face him. She took a good look at the man. He wasn't wearing any reflective armor so maybe she would have to ask Gimli for help later.

Aragorn looked eager to help and see what her magic could do. She sighed at his eagerness. She was going against everything that she was ever taught. Never show your power unless you really needed too and she was about to do it to a muggle non-the less. _Lucky they don't have Fudge at the helm here_.

"I want to start easy. Just raise your sword as if you were to strike but do not move it too much." I said. Aragorn nodded and pulled out his sword, he raised it and took a firm stand on the ground.

As fast as she could she pulled her wand out of its holster and spoke a disarming spell.

"Expelliarmus!"

She didn't aim at a precise point. Just like she did with magical folk she just shot the spell at the person. The jet of light hit Aragorn but it wasn't too strong. So he kept on his feet. The sword however was pulled from him and flew through the air towards Ginny. She had to step aside not to get hit by the blade.

Aragorn and Gandalf glance at each other. Both surprised and impressed.

 _Good, it works on muggle weapons_ , Ginny mused as she bends to pick up the sword for Aragorn.

"That was impressive, milady." Aragorn said with a slightly shaken voice as she handed the sword back to him.

"Nah, you weren't moving or magically defending yourself. It was an easy shot. I'm just happy the spell worked on a sword. It will make defending myself a lot easier. Can you repeat that, I want to check a theory?" She asked. Aragorn nodded and raised his sword again. This time Ginny aimed for the blade itself and as she suspected the spell bounced from the steel. It was too reflective.

"Damn!" she cursed. Both men looked at her in surprise. Probably they had never heard a woman swear.

"That wasn't what you hoped for?" Gandalf asked.

"No, the steel is too reflective. Hexes and curses will just bounce off. It will be an issue when I'm faced with enemies in polished armor like Gimli is wearing. Spells might bounce off and hit somebody else." She realized that in physical battle a deflected curse would be hazardous to those on her side. There was no way to shield multiple people in close combat.

"Yes, that could become an issue." Gandalf agreed.

"Do you know a way around it?" Aragorn asked.

"Well normally I just aim for the person. Not the weapon. Most armor has a weak point where a spell can penetrate. So there is always a chance that the curse will hit instead of bounce off. My aim will have to be better, as precise as possible." She mused. "Or… it might be that if I use more of this earth's strong magic the spell will be too strong to bounce of the steel. The magic will overload the steel and still hit the enemy. But that's just a theory."

"Do you want to try it?" Gandalf asked.

"I'm not sure." She had seen Harry's very strong disarming spells hit Death Eaters. They were always blasted away.

"You should try it. You need to know how to defend yourself." Aragorn pressed.

"I don't want to hurt you." She said as she shook her head.

Aragorn swallowed, his fear for her strong magic was clear. Ginny could see the battle in his mind between his fear and his need to protect everybody. The latter won.

"I'm a strong man, milady, I think I can withstand a blow."

Ginny looked at him skeptically but he seemed convinced of his own words. So she nodded and walked away from him. She turned to face him again and raised her wand. This time she opened herself up to the power of the earth. She took a little from it's strength, just enough to feel a little stronger. Again she waved her wand and spoke the disarming spell.

It hit Aragorn's sword with brute force but it didn't bounce off it. Instead the blade absorbed the blow and exploded from Aragorn's grasp. It came flying towards her, while Aragorn flew backwards and landed a good thirty feet away.

She grabbed the sword and ran towards Aragorn.

"I'm really sorry." She said as Aragorn got up.

"It doesn't matter, you did warn me. Besides I offered you to try it on me."

Ginny nodded and handed him back his sword.

"I know but that doesn't mean I wanted to hurt you." She argued.

"Did you get the result you wanted?" He asked when he brushed off his clothes.

"Yes, the energy of this earth will help me against the armor. Also normally a disarming spell is shot straight at the body of your opponent and it will work. So as long as I am able to hit flesh, a weak point in the armor or use the extra energy it will be okay."

Gandalf called her training to a stop shortly after that. She had given disarming Aragorn while he was moving a few tries. Always trying to keep the power as low as possible. She didn't want him flying again. She was sure she couldn't deal with blood or severe injuries right now.

A few times she aimed for the blade. Just to see if moving around made a difference but sadly it didn't. It annoyed her greatly that her spells seemed to be bouncing off the blade easily. Due to her perfected Quidditch aim it only needed a few tries to find the right spot to hit the sword. The weak spot for spells was the top of the handle just above the hands. She knew that in a large battle it would be useless, the aiming took too much time but in a one on one duel it could be useful. In a full battle she would go back to more powerful spells and full body hits.

When they walked back up to the hilltop Gandalf informed them that if Gimli was awake it was time to move on. Her early morning session had given her lot to think off while they rode across the country.

It was a bit of a shock for her to realize that steel armor could be an issue when it came to the more complex curses and hexes. The feeling of safety left her. She had thought that she would be safe and able to defend herself but if all her enemies wore armor like Gimli's than it would became nearly impossible to throw curses around without endangering herself and others on the good side. She was in dire need of target practice and she really needed to learn how to wield a sword or bow.

"Aragorn?" She said softly as they raced across the field.

"Yes, milady."

"Please, stop that milady thing, it's Ginny." She muttered annoyed. She heard him chuckle and she realized that the man had learned much from Gandalf, maybe a bit too much. "Could you please teach me some things with a sword so that I at least can defend myself in physical battle?"

"Of course, milady." Aragorn said with a chuckle.

"You know, I could just curse you. You are completely defenseless with your back toward me." Ginny muttered darkly.

"You wouldn't." Aragorn laughed.

"Care to explain why not?" she threatened.

"You wouldn't hurt me, I'm a friend of Gandalf and you wouldn't do that to a friend of Gandalf." Aragorn said, he sounded convinced and he was right of course but not all magic was to hurt.

"I know ways to use magic without hurting you and still get things my way." She told him. He glanced over his shoulder at her with a mock smile. She felt something stir inside her, humor, a laugh, something close to joy. She was enjoying mocking this man. She was actually enjoying herself.

 _How could she_!

All the sudden she felt so bad, so broken. She kept up the pretenses long enough for Aragorn to turn again without noticing the pain that slammed through her. She couldn't believe that she was enjoying herself when just a few days ago she had witnessed a massacre. She had seen friends and family being murdered, tortured and their screams still echoed in her ears. Yet, here she was, in a new strange world, with new strange friends, enjoying mocking them. It felt like she was betraying her dead friends.

They made another stop for the night. Again she didn't eat anything. She was still feeling sick with guilt about the sudden joy she had felt when mocking Aragorn. In a bad mood she grabbed her blanket from the saddle and she sat herself away from the group. With her back against the hard rock. She covered her whole body with the blanket leaving only her head out for air. With her knees pulled up to her chest and her chin on her knees she stared into the fire.

She felt emotional drained. Her head was pounding and her eyes watery. She wanted to scream, to cry or maybe even just talk but she couldn't. Screaming would endanger her new friends. Crying wasn't the release she needed. She was crying now and still it felt like she was ready to explode. Talking was even less of a possibility. She couldn't even start to think about what happened, to retell her tales and face the demons that haunted her was surely going to kill her. Besides they wouldn't understand. They had never fought a magical battle. She was sure they had never seen a person laughing like a madman as he tortured a fourteen-year-old girl till her throat bled from the screaming. They had never seen the green beam of light taking away the life of their best friend. No, they wouldn't understand. Never before had she felt so alone.

Deep in her heart she knew that she should be happy. She knew that Harry and her family had sacrificed themselves to ensure a happy future for all witches and wizards. But how could she be happy without her family, without Harry? How could she be happy when she never got the chance to say goodbye or to tell them how much she loved them?

The others went about their business and prepared for a good nights sleep. She heard them talk and she realized that Legolas had offered to take the night watch. Somewhere she felt that she should offer as well, she wouldn't sleep anyway but she felt lethargic and so tired.

She closed her eyes and pressed them against her knees. Trying to block out everything. She never noticed the worried glances the elf was giving her.


	9. Words with an elf

**AN:** _Thanks for the reviews everybody. To reply to some questions, I decided to rewrite the story to fix some grammar and some not really well written parts. I noticed that not all the conversations, thoughts and emotions were well written in the old story. So I did a complete review. Therefor I would advise you all to start from the beginning. I have added some small scenes and lines to make it all a little bit better._  
 _I will be reposting the story until the end of the battle at the Black Gates, from there I will finish the story. I want to write it until well after Aragorn's death._

 **AN2:**

 _Italic: Thought_

 **Bold: Elvish**

 _ **Italic and Bold: Thoughts in Elfish**_

 ** _Don't forget to review!_**

* * *

 **9\. Words with an elf.**

The whole day Legolas had been very aware of the witch in their presence. Every time he really looked around he saw the flaming red hair and the pale freckled face. He had also seen her pain when she had been mocking with Aragorn. Once the man had looked away Legolas had seen her face contort with it. Her almost sick complexion returned and he had heard her breath turning to gasps. He had also noticed how she had separated herself from the group when they stopped for the night and how she had cried softly as she had stared into the fire.

He wanted to help her, he wanted to take her pain away but she was so closed off. She hadn't spoken to him or Gimli besides a kind 'thank you' when they offered her something. She replied to simple questions but most of the times she had been too lost in her thoughts that she didn't even heard the questions. How could he help her when he didn't really know the cause of so much pain?

Once the others were sleeping he decided that the least he could do was to give it a try. He wanted to see if he could help. It felt like a compulsion to him. It was like as long she was hurt he would hurt as well. He walked over to her secluded spot and sat down next to her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked her softly. Her head came up from her knees and she met his eyes. They were red and teary. She just shook her head.

"Can't." she croaked. Legolas smiled at her and nodded.

"I understand. I'm sure Gandalf has already told you this but you really should talk about it some time. It will ruin you from the inside if you don't."

He could see something in his words had sparked a fire in her. She eyes lit up, perhaps in anger. He saw a flame returning in them. She shook her head at him.

"I don't care, not really. I have nothing left to live for anyway. It doesn't matter if I died because of it." She muttered darkly.

Her words were a shock to him. He had never had to deal with somebody suicidal before. Elves had a natural drive to live and though they lived forever they valued life above all things. It was very rare these days that elflings were born and therefore every life was special.

"Aren't you happy just to be alive?" he asked her.

"Don't know." She shrugged.

"I don't understand." He admitted.

She turned to him to meet his eyes once more. Her face was dead, almost empty of any emotion. Her dark brown eyes held a certain desperation but there wasn't any desire in them. It scared him a bit.

"Have you ever fought a war, Legolas?" she asked.

"Many." He admitted.

"So you know what you can loose in a war?"

"I know. I have lost many that I counted as my friends."

"Did it hurt?" she asked, her voice was turning icy cold. He managed to not flinch away from her.

"A lot. To an elf all life is very precious. We live forever but there are so few of us, to lose somebody is devastating but we all know we will see them again when it's our time to cross the sea or die in war."

"Than you can imagine how it would feel to lose everybody. Your mother, father, brothers, your closest friend and the man you have loved for almost your whole life in one night due to a war that was based on one man's greed. Perhaps you can imagine why I don't care if I die. Why I want to die so I can be with them again." She snapped at him.

Legolas felt her desperation, anger and grief flow from her. It was strong and very deep. He could understand, now that he knew what was hurting her so much, he really could understand. He had never really loved another elf like a lover should but if he had and he would lose that person, he would go to the halls of Mandos or sail to Valinor as soon as possible. He would want to find a way to be with her again.

But to be so young as she and already wanted to give up on life. Give up all the things she still could do and see. All the wonders that were still awaiting her…

Next to him Ginny started to cry again, her words had hurt her as well. Saying it out loud made it so final. The truth of them rang in the air. She had lost everything, everybody. She couldn't even care if she had been too hard on the friendly elf. She couldn't even care if she had insulted him, all she wanted was to cry and cry for days hoping that her tears would make everything alright again.

After a while Legolas got up to do his round to make sure no enemy was sneaking up on them. He was about to walk away but he turned back to her.

"I don't know if it will help but I don't think your parents and lover would want you to give up. I'm sure that they wanted you to live and try to be happy. I know I would if it was my child in your place."

With that he left to do his round. Ginny looked after him. She wanted to shout at him, scream at him that he didn't know what he was talking about but his words hit some sort of target inside her. It pulled back up memories of the endless nights she spend talking with Harry in her fifth year at Hogwarts.

" _Something will happen." Harry said to her. They sat in front of the fire in an empty common room._

" _You mean like he will attack or something?" She asked. Her head lay in his lap and she looked up straight into emerald pools._

" _Maybe… I don't know, at one point he will want to take full power, here and at the ministry. When that happens everybody will be in danger."_

" _Dumbledore will be able to prevent any harm to us." She said with conviction._

" _I don't know, Gin. Dumbledore can't be everywhere all at once. There might come a moment when he isn't around that Voldemort decides to attack."_

" _You know many will fight with you, for you and Dumbledore."_

" _Yeah, that's what I'm worried about. I have already lost Sirius and my parents. I don't want to loose anymore."_

" _I don't want to loose you, either. So don't go about being a hero and sacrifice yourself for us. We'll fight through whatever is to come together."_

" _Of course." Harry had nodded but Ginny could see he wasn't completely honest with her. She knew that he would sacrifice himself for any of them. If it would mean the end of the war, he would do it. She just knew him too well. "Gin?" He suddenly asked._

" _Yes, Harry."_

" _If I die…"_

" _You better not!"_

" _I promise you, I'll do my best not to get killed but if it happens, will you promise me one thing?"_

" _That depends on what you want."_

 _Harry sat up right and lifted her up so that she would face him._

" _Will you promise me to try and be happy? Will you promise me that what ever happens, if you survive and I do not that you will live your life in happiness?"_

" _I don't know if I can, Harry. I don't know what to do if I would lose you."_

" _You are so strong, Ginny, so much more stronger than anyone I know. You can make it. You can create your own happiness." Harry said passionately._

" _Harry, if I lose you, why would I want to live my life. I don't have anything to live for with out you."_

" _You have me to live for! You have to live as happy as you can just to make it up for my lost life. Please, make sure you try. I don't want you to end it yourself just to be with me. Whatever happens promise me you try to live your life. Try to find somebody you can love, have a full life, a happy old days and when it is your time to die I'll be waiting for you, as your best friend or your lover, whatever you want."_

" _I can't…"_

" _Promise me, Ginny. I need you to promise me. I need to have something to fight for."_

 _She looked at him and saw his eyes pleading with her. Somehow, she realized that he didn't expected to make it out of the war alive. Perhaps if she promised him, he would fight harder._

" _I promise, Harry, but please promise me you try not to die."_

" _I promise."_

She jolted out of her memory like she woke up from a dream. She had promised Harry to try but how could she? How could she try to be happy when she had lost everything she cared for? How could she try to be happy if she landed in a world that was so strange and on the brink of a war itself?

She had promised Harry to try and though the pain if his loss was still so fresh she knew she had to keep her promise. He had kept his promise as well. He had fought so hard to survive. In the end it was just a lost battle. She was sure she could never love anyone like she had loved Harry and her family but perhaps she could start trying with making new friends. She had already a friend in Gandalf and maybe Aragorn as well.

She realized that if she got herself killed now and met up with Harry, he would seriously be angry with her. Right now she had broken her promise to him. For the last few days she had only dwelled in misery and pain. She hadn't even thought about continuing without Harry.

She looked up to see the elf sitting across the fire. He was looking at her with worried eyes. She felt sorry for snapping at him, he had not deserved it. The elf had only tried to help her, be kind to her and she had just snapped at him.

She got up and walked over to Legolas. His eyes followed her and his worried face turned to a soft smile. She sat down next to him and warmed her hands with the heat from the fire.

"I'm sorry, Legolas. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that." She said after a few minutes of silence.

"It's alright. I shouldn't have tried to get you to talk. We all deal with losses in our own way and time."

Ginny shook her head. "You were trying to help. Besides the fact that I always had trouble excepting help, I'm just not ready to face all my demons. Not yet."

"I understand, we all do. All of us have seen many battles and lost many we held dear. You can talk to any of us, we all will understand."

"Can you tell me about your loss?" she asked carefully.

"Of course." Legolas said with a smile, he leaned back a bit to look up at the night sky. Like he was remembering something. "My first and most painful loss happened a very long time ago when I was a young warrior in my father's army. I think the first time you are faced with loosing somebody you care for is the most painful because it makes you loose that last bit of innocence. I had just been given permission to join the patrol guard at the borders of my country. I had a few very close friends that were also with me as a part of the guard. When you live at the court of a royal family it is not easy to make really close friends. Not even amongst elves. We were like brothers. Every two weeks we did a patrol with a group of twelve elves. It was dangerous along the borders. Orcs, Goblins and other dark creatures were regularly causing trouble in my country." He explained calmly. "One day we were attacked by a huge band of Orcs. Just as we passed through a narrow mountain pass that leads to the plains where the Orcs usually stayed before an attack, they attacked us. They came from both sides. We were trapped and severely outnumbered. Twelve of us against at least four times as many Orcs. We fought as hard as we could to find a way out of the pass. After a long fight I managed to break through the ranks of the Orcs. I fought to keep the gap I created open so the others could follow me but they were blocked. I left to sound the alarm in the hope the others would continue to fight but by the time the other guards arrived more than half of the guard was killed. Including my three best friends. From the twelve only four survived the attack. My best friend, an elf I had known since I was just two years old was dead. His throat cut. I never forget how he looked, so cold, so empty."

"That sounds horrible." Ginny whispered in horror.

"It was." Legolas nodded. "Not only did I loose friends I had known for at least a thousand years. My people lost many good young healthy men. A loss, which no elven society can deal with. You see, the birth of an elfling is a rare thing. You would be blessed to see one or two births in a decade. Loosing so many young people was a blow."

"How did you cope with the loss of your friends?"

"I felt guilty at first. I managed to convince myself that I should have stayed at their side, instead of trying to make an escape route or call for backup. I was convinced that I could have saved their lives if I had stayed. My father noticed my guilt. We elves are in general very sensitive to the emotions of others and so he felt what I was feeling. He came to me and told me about his own losses and how he learned to realize that he couldn't take the blame for everything. He said to me, ' _you try to do your best, that's all you can do_.' It didn't make things right immediately but as time passed I began to realize that he was right. It took me a long time to learn to give their death a place but talking about it with people who had lost loved ones as well helped al lot."

Ginny nodded, she knew to what he was hinting but she couldn't, not yet.

"I can't, not yet. It only happened a few days ago."

"Nobody is pressuring you to talk. Just remember we all, Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli and me have lost people we cared about due to battle. We understand what you are going through."

Ginny nodded and sighed softly. "Thank you, Legolas."

"You are welcome." He said with a smile. "You should try to get some sleep. It's still a few hours before sunrise. Tomorrow we will reach Edoras. I don't know how much rest we will get there."

"I don't think I can't sleep. I see things I don't want to see when I close my eyes." Ginny said.

Legolas smiled at her with sympathy. "Why don't you grab your blanket and come sit with me, I'll sing you to sleep."

"Sing me to sleep?" she asked surprised.

"Yeah, it seemed to help you last night when I sang to you." The elf shrugged.

"You sang to me?" Ginny gasped.

"Yes, we elves have magic of our own. My mother taught me many songs that soothed the mind and healed the heart. She use to sing for me when I was an elfling."

Ginny looked at him for a few minutes, she felt completely dazed. Never before had anyone offered to sing her to sleep. Not even her mother. She always gave her a dreamless sleep potion after nightmares. Yet, this stranger, an elf offered to help her by singing for her.

"Go on, get your blanket." Legolas said again.

She chuckled and pulled out her wand and summoned the blanket to her.

"Useful, that magic of yours." Legolas said as he watched her catch the blanket from the air. His off handed but very in awe comment made Ginny chuckle a bit more. "Now make yourself comfortable."

Ginny did as he said and she curled up like a cat in front of the fire. Her head close to Legolas. She closed her eyes and flinched. The images of dead eyes immediately returned.

"Try to relax your breathing. There is nothing here that will harm you. Not as long we are with you."

Ginny tried to take deeper breaths. It did work slightly, at least the muscles in her back relaxed a bit. After a few deep breaths Legolas started to sing. Ginny's mouth popped open in awe. His voice was so soft, so soothing and though she didn't understood the words he was singing it calmed her. She didn't even have it in her to fight the fatigue that was taking hold of her. She felt his song spread through her like a potion and she gave in.

Legolas smiled at the woman next to him while he continued to sing softly for her. She had fallen asleep an hour ago and seemed to be sleeping calmly and without nightmares. He was so absorbed in his song and Ginny's presence that he never noticed that his long time friend was awake and watching them.

Aragorn smiled to himself, his close friend for many years was singing to a woman. He knew Legolas wouldn't see it that way. Not now but Aragorn had a feeling about where this was heading and he couldn't be more happy about it.


	10. Edoras

_Italic: Thought_

 **Bold: Elvish**

 _ **Italic and Bold: Thoughts in Elfish**_

 ** _Don't forget to review!_**

* * *

 **10\. Edoras**.

When the sun appeared in the eastern sky Legolas softly woke her. Thanks to him Ginny had been able to sleep without facing her demons again and again. She was very thankful to him for she felt really well rested but a bit awkward about it all. She was a little ashamed of what had happened during the night. Legolas just smiled at her and said he was happy that it helped when she thanked him.

"We will reach Edoras by midday." Gandalf told the group during breakfast. He wanted them to get ready quickly so they would be able to arrive there as planned. While the men were packing up Ginny turned the blanket to its original state and handed it back to Legolas.

"Here" The elf said as he put away the cloth. "This is my spare cloak. You should wear it." He handed her a similar cloak as he had wrapped around his shoulders, only a different color.

"Thanks but I'm not cold."

"It's not for the cold. You won't stand out as much if you wear it." Legolas explained as he pointed at her clothing.

"Oh, thanks." She took it and held it up. She had not realized that her jeans, shirt and short jacket would make her stand out. Wearing a cloak would make her fit in with their little group much easier indeed. However, now she looked at it she realized that it was too big for her. Legolas was about a head taller than she was. The fabric would touch the ground. She took a second to shrink it to a better size.

"I'll change it back to normal when you need it." She told Legolas as he was still looking at her. He nodded and returned to his packing and saddling the horse.

"Ginevra?" Gandalf called her. She walked over to him and waited expectantly. "I fear that King Théoden is being controlled by Saruman. While I am sure that Saruman will not there he will be able to see what is happening. I am also very sure he has a spy or more there. For your own safety I want you to stay out of sight. Stay in the shadows. Right now, Saruman is your greatest enemy. If he finds out about your existence and power he will inform Sauron and they will hunt you. Whatever happens at Edoras, please stay out of it until Théoden is rid of Saruman and the spy is dealt with. Do not show them anything of your magic."

Ginny nodded. She trusted the wizard to do what was best for her. He had made it very clear that her safety was important to him.

"One other thing…" Gandalf said with a slight hesitation.

"Yes?" She asked softly.

"People who are less educated and less well traveled than us will fear you. Beings of great power have rarely done any good to the world of men. You seemed to be a well educated and free thinking woman, combined with the power that radiates from you... I fear people will fear you much more than they fear an old man with magic tricks." Gandalf said with a wry smile. "I do not think that King Théoden, his family or his household will cause you any trouble once we get rid of Saruman. They will be courteous to you as you are a friend of mine. They will trust my judgment."

"Why do they fear a woman with power more than a man?"

"Oh, they do fear wizards as well but a witch is greatly feared. They are supposed to be of legend and horrible at that. They do not have any good stories about witches."

"Nice." She hissed.

"Think of it this way. You can change people's view of witches by showing them how good magic can be." Aragorn said with a smile. She nodded but wasn't sure that would work. You just couldn't wipe away so many years of fear and hatred by one good deed. It would need many and even then people would need to be open to it.

The trip to Edoras took them the better part of the day. Ginny felt she was getting used to the horse riding thing and decided to give it a try herself someday soon. Sitting behind Aragorn was okay but she wondered if riding by herself would be similar to riding a broom. It would lack the speed but she would have the freedom. Suddenly Gandalf called them to a halt.

"Edoras and the Golden Hall of Meduseld. There dwells Théoden, King of Rohan..." Gandalf said out loud. Ginny looked at the town and noticed that it was very small. It was build on a hill and looked like a medieval town from her world.

"Whose mind is overthrown. Saruman's hold over King Théoden is now very strong." Gandalf continued. "Be careful what you say. Do not look for a welcome here and Ginevra, please keep your identity hidden."

They all nodded and Ginny pulled the hood of the cloak over her head so that it rested just above her brow. Her bright red hair was hidden and her face in the shade. Though, she couldn't do much about her female figure.

Ginny glanced around Aragorn to get a better view of the city as they got closer. Up where a large, church like building stood she saw a woman standing in the wind. The woman was completely dressed in white and had long wavy blond hair. To Ginny the woman looked like something ethereal. There was a soft glow about her that made her stand out in all the brown and earthy colors.

Her attention was drawn away from the woman when they approached the gate. It looked old and not maintained very well. An old banner flew overhead as the wind carried away more from the town's former glory. The horse was slightly spooked by the banner landing right in front of its hooves but Aragorn led them safely through the gate.

The village was dead. She couldn't describe it any other way. It was quiet, dark and the whole atmosphere felt depressed. Most people looked in a bad shape. They were clad in dirty and dark clothes, their skin pale and their eyes fearful.

It was clear to Ginny that most of the people she saw did not have any good food in a long time.

"You'd find more cheer in a graveyard." Gimli muttered and Ginny couldn't help but agree.

They made their way to the stables where three men dressed in armor waited for them to take the horses. As a stranger took tried to take hold of the great white horse, Shadowfax bristled. Ginny slid from her horse and made her way to Shadowfax.

"Shhhh, they mean you no harm." She whispered to the horse. During the last two days she had come to love that horse. She had tried to spend a little time with it during their short breaks. The horse at least didn't constantly remind her of what happened. He was just there ready to be hugged or give a horse hug to her. "And if they hurt you, you come to me. I'll curse them until they can't think straight anymore." The horse nuzzled her face and made a sound that came close to laughing.

"Come, my dear, Shadowfax will be alright." Gandalf said to Ginny.

When they approached the Golden Hall, guards came forward. Ginny took her wand and hid behind Gandalf and Legolas before muttering a notice-me-not spell. She wouldn't disappear but nobody would notice her if they didn't look for her. Quickly she slid her wand back into its holster.

As they reached the top of the stairs one of the guard approached them. Gandalf seemed to know him because he gave the strict looking man a nod. Ginny noticed a hint of recognition in the man's eyes but he didn't react on it.

"I cannot allow you before Théoden King so armed, Gandalf Greyhame. By order of Gríma Wormtongue." The guard said with a grimace. Ginny looked at her companions. They didn't seem happy with the idea of parting from their protection but Gandalf nodded to them and they complied.

 _They can ask anything but they are not getting my wand_ , Ginny thought to herself. She moved her lower arm a little to feel her wand securely strapped to her underarm by a holster. The holster had been a gift from Sirius for Christmas. As clothing covered her arms the guard would never see it. Besides, Gandalf didn't part from his staff either.

"Your staff." The guard pressed.

"You would not part an old man from his walking stick, would you." Gandalf said suddenly pretending to feel very old. She swore she heard Aragorn chuckle and she saw some sort of merriment in the eyes of the guard. He didn't say anything but just nodded. Ginny got the impression that the guard was more than happy to comply with Gandalf's wishes to keep his staff for some reason.

To keep up the pretenses Legolas offered Gandalf an arm to support on as they walked up the final steps to the hall. Before walking into the hall Gandalf glanced at her. Like he was reminding her to stay out of view.

She gave a short nod and as soon as she was through the door she slipped to the right side and along the wall. Her spell prevented anyone from noticing her and in the shadows covered in the dark cloak nobody would really see her. Staying in the shadows she slowly followed Gandalf to the front of the hall.

At the other end of the hall sat an old man on a large throne. He looked fragile, old and close to death. She wondered how much it was the curse he was under and how much it was old age of the man self. To her it was clear that he was under a curse. His eyes were glassy. He looked lethargic and unwilling to move. It looked very much like how people looked when placed under the Imperius curse. If it were something similar it wouldn't be easily fixed. She hoped the wizard knew what he was doing.

Slowly Ginny let her eyes wander over the other faces as she softly walked forwards.

Next to the king sat a man that looked like the little brother of Severus Snape. It was a pale black greasy haired man. A snake. He wouldn't have stood out in Slytherin house. Seeing this man startled Ginny a little, it caused her to wonder how similar this world was to hers. She had already met a man like Dumbledore. The two hobbits she had met were just as mischievous as her twin brothers. Aragorn could be easily compared with Sirius and come to think of it, Gimli was in his way just as Mad-eye had been. Grumpy, good natured and maybe a bit insane.

What about the rest of the people she would meet in this world? Would she meet a Harry like figure, or somebody like her mother? She wasn't sure if she wanted it or if she would fear a moment like that. Her emotional stability has issues enough with realizing that she would meet people that reminded her of home. It wouldn't be good to meet people who reminded her of the two most important people in her life.

She shook herself out of it as Gandalf's voice echoed through the hall.

"The courtesy of your hall is somewhat lessened of late, Théoden King." Gandalf spoke. The king said something in return but she was too far away to hear it. The snake got up and walked towards Gandalf.

Ginny didn't fail to notice a group of men entered the hall. They didn't look too friendly.

"Late is the hour in which this conjurer chooses to appear. Láthspell I name him. Ill news is an ill guest." The snake spoke.

"Be silent." Gandalf snapped to the man. De wizard didn't seem faced by the grease that seemed to ooze from the man. "Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I have not passed through fire and death to bandy crooked words with a witless worm."

Gandalf raised his staff as if he was to strike the man with it. The snake took a few steps back in fear.

"His staff. I told you to take the wizard's staff."

Mayhem erupted in the hall. The men she had seen coming in suddenly attacked her companions. Ginny knew she had to stay out of sight until Gandalf dealt with the other wizard but it was difficult. She wanted to help her companions as they were outnumbered. She slowly walked closer to the group. She wasn't sure what she could do but being closer to the fight felt like a good idea.

After just a minute she realized that her worries were unnecessary. Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas were much better trained in hand-to-hand combat than their attackers and dealt with the men quickly.

"Théoden, son of Thengel..." Gandalf spoke loudly, he seemed totally unfazed by the attacks happening around him, "...too long have you sat in the shadows."

Ginny felt the magic around her gather in large flows. Gandalf was pulling a lot of strength from the earth to work his magic. She considered that she could help Gandalf by letting a bit of her magic flow with the magic of the earth. It wasn't hard to feel the flows and let her own magic flow with it. Like floating in a river. It amazed her that this sort of magic worked here so easily. Back home only the really powerful and skilled wizards and witches could do this.

"Hearken to me!" Gandalf called the attention to him. "I release you from the spell."

While keeping her magic steady Ginny slowly crept closer towards the king. She wanted to be closer so that if needed she could aid Gandalf without being noticed. Suddenly the king started to laugh, it sounded sick.

"You have no power here, Gandalf the Grey." The king said.

Ginny felt a surge of power and Gandalf's magical aura flared brightly. The same moment he threw off his grey cloak and the room filled with the bright white light of his magic. The force of magic threw the king back into his throne.

"I will draw you, Saruman, as poison is drawn from a wound." Gandalf said as he stepped forward.

"If I go, Théoden dies." The king growled. He was definitely completely under control of Saruman.

"You did not kill me, you will not kill him."

"Rohan is mine."

"Be gone." Gandalf ordered. Ginny felt the surge of magic shift. Gandalf took another step forward and just as the king made a move to attack the wizard threw his staff towards the king. The magic released felt like a magical explosion. The feeling reminded her off the final explosion between Harry and Voldemort.

The magic was thick in the air and combined with the memory of the battle between Harry and Voldemort breathing suddenly became very difficult for Ginny. She couldn't even identify if it was because of her panic, pain or something else. Gandalf released the build up magic and the air became breathable again. Apparently it hadn't been only her pain that made her chest constrict.

The sound of rushing footsteps pulled Ginny's attention away from her own memories. Suddenly the woman dressed in white Ginny had seen before ran towards the king and caught him just before he fell of his throne. For a second Ginny feared the ordeal had killed the king. For a muggle to be put through such a magical blast could be lethal.

After a minute Gandalf stepped back from the king and smiled relieved. Deciding the worst was over Ginny decided to step away from the shadows and join her companions. She did however keep the notice-me-not spell in place. The traitor was still trapped underneath Gimli's heavy booths.

Slowly the king was released from the magic and changed into a much younger man. The gray fizzled hair turned into golden with a few grey strands. The wrinkled in his face disappeared and his glassy eyes turned sharp again. Real royal features returned as the king turned from a frail almost corpse to a strong man.

The woman that held him up was kneeling at his feet was crying with happiness, a big smile formed on her face.

"I know your face." The king said with a soft smile. "Éowyn? Éowyn." The woman smiled and nodded. Slowly the king got up and looked around his hall until he saw Gandalf. Ginny wondered if the king would be angry or happy to see the wizard. "Gandalf?"

"Breathe the free air again, my friend." Gandalf said with a soft smile, he took a few steps back, joining his companions. Ginny took a step to the side so she was partially hidden by the wizard.

The king was still trembling from his ordeal. Ginny felt sorry for the elder man, to be possessed by a powerful wizard was more than a mere muggle could bear. She remembered her first year at Hogwarts very clearly. After the diary had been destroyed she felt so weak for many days and that was with magical defenses and healing techniques.

"Dark have been my dreams of late." Théoden whispered as he checked over his body.

"Your fingers would remember their old strength better if they grasped your sword." Gandalf said to the king. Next to them one of the guards stepped forward and held out a beautiful decorated sword. With all the motives, gemstones and gold it was truly a king's sword.

Once the king raised his sword he stood straighter, stronger and more steady. An air of royalty descended up on him. Like he drew strength from the metal of his sword. A small smile formed around the king's mouth before turning an impressively angered gaze onto the snake who was still stuck beneath Gimli's heavy boots.

"You!" The king growled. "Out with you."

The guards didn't need to be told twice. Gimli stepped away and the guards picked up the man and dragged him out of the front door. Everybody followed them out. Ginny made it out just in time to see that they threw the man down the stairs. She waited behind Legolas, just glancing around his shoulder.

"I've only ever served you, my lord." The snake claimed.

"Your leechcraft would have had me crawling on all fours like a beast!" Théoden shouted as he followed the man down the steps.

While most people moved with the king, Ginny stayed close to Gimli and Legolas who remained on top of the stairs. The snake was clearly a spy for Saruman. She would have to make sure he didn't notice her presence. Besides, they could see and hear everything from there so there was no need to be closer.

"Send me not from your sight." The snake pleaded.

To Ginny it seemed that being send away was the least of the snake's worries. The king looked so angry that he would be lucky to keep his head. In fact just as she finished the thought Théoden raised his sword to strike. Quickly Ginny hid her face in Legolas's back. It made him jump a bit but she had seen enough of death for a while. She didn't need to see this.

"No, my lord! No, my lord. Let him go. Enough blood has been spilt on his account." Aragorn called as he stopped the king's sword from killing the snake.

Carefully Ginny peaked around Legolas, to see what was happening. Aragorn held out his hand to the snake but the idiot didn't accept it. In fact he spat at Aragorn. It was disgusting. If Gandalf hadn't impressed the need to keep her power hidden from the enemy she would have cursed the snake into the next year.

After a bit of confusion that Ginny completely missed while dreaming of cursing somebody, the snake ran away and the guard shouted over the crowed that had gathered around the scene, "Hail, Théoden, King!" Around her everybody knelt down, even Aragorn, to not stand out she followed the example.

"Where is Théodred? Where is my son?" Théoden suddenly asked. He looked around in search for an answer. Next to Gandalf the beautiful woman named Éowyn sniffled, her eyes were haunted. Ginny was sure the king would rather not know the answer.

"He died, my lord." Èowyn whispered. "Early this morning, there was nothing the healers could do for him."

The king looked like he was about to faint and one of the guards rushed to support him. Without a word the guard led the king back inside. The whole group silently followed them back into the hall.

"You can lift whatever spell you placed on yourself, my dear." Gandalf whispered. "It will be safe now."

Ginny did as he asked and lifted the charm. She noticed people suddenly looked at her but because she walked between Legolas and Gandalf nobody said anything. Once inside she pulled off her hood and revealed her bright red hair. Many people gasped in a reaction to this, it made her blush slightly.

"It's alright, they will get used to you." Legolas muttered as he noticed her uneasiness. Ginny nodded unsure. She would have to wait and see if that would really happen. For now especially the women around them were openly staring and gossiping.

"What happened?" The king asked Èowyn as he sat down.

"He was ambushed by Saruman's Orcs. His whole company got killed. Èomer and his éored found them but they were too late. Only Théodred was alive but severely injured. He did not make it." Èowyn cried softly. Théoden could only nodded at her. "Will you please prepare his body for a funeral?" He asked Èowyn.

"Yes, my lord." Èowyn whispered softly.

"But first make sure our guests get a chance to bath and fresh up before dinner." Théoden said as he looked at the five standing in the middle of the hall. His eyes rested on Ginny and widen a bit. Ginny knew that King realized that he hadn't seen her before. She bowed her head slightly to him.

"Of course, my lord." Èowyn nodded. When Èowyn got up Gandalf went to talk with the king, offering him words of comfort. "I'll show you to your sleeping quarters." Èowyn whispered when she stopped in front of them.

They followed the blond lady through the halls of the building. It was bigger than it seemed from the outside. Ginny did her best to remember the route they were taking. She wanted to know how to get to the front door incase it was needed. Luckily years of navigating Hogwarts had left her with a very good sense of direction.

"The men can have this sleeping hall. I'll make sure the maids bring you water to wash up and if you want your clothes cleaned place them on the beds, the maids will launder them." Èowyn explained.

To Ginny, Èowyn sounded like she had run this household for a long time already. There was an air of confidence and strength around the woman. Ginny was impressed with Èowyn's no-nonsense business like way. Especially when she didn't seem all that much older than the witch herself.

"Milady, for you the room across the hall is available. It's small and doesn't offer much comfort but it has a soft bed and privacy." Èowyn said when her eyes met Ginny's.

"It's alright. I don't need much." Ginny said softly. She followed Èowyn through the door of the room that was given to her. The woman hadn't been lying. It was very minimalistic. The bed in the corner was made of a dark wood and a sack stuffed with material pretended to be a mattress.

Ginny knew she couldn't expect more from these people. She had been very spoiled so far when it came to sleeping with the four-poster bed from Hogwarts. She sighed, it would do and she always could use a little magic to make herself more comfortable. She took off her cloak and folded it over her arm before she turned back to Èowyn. It was only then that she noticed the woman looking at her.

As she turned fully towards Èowyn, Ginny noticed that the woman's eyes widened in shock. After a few minutes Ginny realized that it was her appearance and clothes that surprised the woman. She did after all look completely out of place in this medieval country.

After a while a frown formed up on the blonde's face.

"I will ask the maids to bring you a bath and warm water so you can wash up. Do you have any other clothes with you?" Èowyn asked as she looked around. Probably looking to see a traveling pack.

"No, just this." Ginny said. She looked down at herself. She had kept her clothes relatively clean but they were worn out and in need of replacement. She would look into it later, she couldn't simply ask for new clothes. The people of this town had issues enough at it was. There was no need to create more just to get some new clothes.

"To be honest, a woman in breeches and tunics is not really accepted in the court. While I could not care less, there are people around here who would frown up on your choice of clothes." Èowyn said carefully as she inspected Ginny's jacket. "I will bring you a clean dress and one for tomorrow for you to wear with the funeral." Èowyn said decisively.

"Oh, no, you don't have to do that." Ginny protested. "I can't ask that of you besides I rather wear clothes like this. It is how I dressed back where I come from."

Èowyn glanced over her one more time and looked at her with a smile.

"All right, I will see what I can get for you but please the King will be really displeased if you wore inappropriate clothes for the funeral."

"Alright. If it's not too much." Ginny agreed.

"Of course not." Èowyn said with a smile. "What is your name, milady?"

"Oh, how rude of me, I'm Ginevra, but it's Ginny for short."

"I'm Èowyn, the king's niece and shield maiden of Rohan."

"It's an honor." Ginny said with a smile.

"Where do you hail?" Èowyn asked. Ginny smiled at Èowyn. The Shieldmaiden seemed to be a really nice person but she wasn't sure how to answer. She understood that Èowyn was asking her where she came from but she couldn't tell the truth. The young woman would never understand and it would be bloody hard to explain.

After a little consideration she decided to keep it to Middle Earth only.

"Fangorn forest and before that I spend time in the mountains." It wasn't a lie. Mountains surround Hogwarts and after Hogwarts she had spend a few days in Fangorn. She had seen mountains on the way to Edoras, so it wouldn't be an unfamiliar territory for Èowyn.

"Fangorn?" Èowyn asked in surprise. "That forest is dangerous. My brother told me about strange creatures living there. He said that even the trees are dangerous."

Ginny shrugged and placed the folded cloak on the bed, she would give it back to Legolas later.

"It's wasn't that bad."

"Are you married to the man, the Ranger?" Èowyn asked after a minute of silence. Ginny whirled around to face her in shock. It was so totally unexpected that she found herself caught of guard. "Oh, I'm sorry, it was rude of me to ask." Èowyn said with a blush.

"No, you just got me off guard. No I'm not involved with any of them. I'm a friend of Gandalf. Meeting Gandalf in Fangorn forest was slightly unexpected but he was there waiting for the others to arrive. Since then we are traveling together."

"Oh." Èowyn whispered. "Oh, alright. I'll leave you to it. The maids will bring you fresh clothes and a bath. Dinner will be served in two hours and I'm sure my uncle will want to meet his guests before that."

"Okay, thank you." Ginny nodded.

Èowyn left her in silence. Ginny took a good look around her. The room wasn't decorated. In the corner next to the window stood a chair that was draped in fabric. On the floor lay a hide of some sort of animal, probably a cow. The window had no glass or anything but wooden shutters to keep out the light and a piece of fabric served as a curtain to keep out the cold wind. A table was placed in the other corner had a candle and a basin. A small fireplace ensured that the room would be kept warm during the winter days.

She sat down on the bed and sighed. Being alone wasn't the best thing at this moment. Though she had felt utterly alone, she hadn't really been alone since the final battle. There had always been Gandalf or later the others who would keep her mind occupied.

Now that she was alone with time to think there was nothing to distract her from her thoughts. Immediately her mind took her back to the final battle. Her mind seemed to be stuck on the horrors of the empty cold dead eyes of her family. She wondered if they would haunt her for the rest of her life.

With a deep breath Ginny tried to focus on the future instead of the past but it wasn't as successful as she hoped. Tomorrow she would be attending a funeral. She would have to stand next to Gandalf as a friend to show her respects to the dead prince. She shivered as she thought about seeing a death face again. Maybe he would be in a coffin. Maybe… if it wasn't too much to hope for.

Thinking about the upcoming funeral had Ginny think about her dead family again. She would never be able to bury them. Never would she be able to visit their graves or attend a memorial service in their name. Never ever could she say goodbye. She couldn't go home. Merlin knows why or how she ended up in Middle Earth but it was most likely that she couldn't return to her own world. Truthfully, she wasn't even sure if she wanted to return but she wished that she would have at least the chance to say goodbye to her family. Yet, she realized that in this state of mind she would not have been able to attend any of those funerals.

A knock on the door startled her from her thoughts.

"Come in." she called as she quickly wiped away her tears.

An older woman came in followed by two men carrying what seemed to be a bathtub and two others followed with large buckets of steaming water.

"The wizard has requested you to join him and the others after your bath to meet the king and to eat something, milady." The older woman said. Ginny nodded. "Lady Èowyn asked me to bring you fresh clothes. She requests that you wear this dress today when you meet the king, it would be more appropriate. The dark dress is for the funeral tomorrow. These are the clothes you requested, if they are too big we can alter them."

"Thank you, this is too much to ask already." Ginny said as she took the pile of clothing.

"The water is warm, milady, it might be a bit too warm."

"Thank you." Ginny said again. Once they left the room she went through the clothes. The two dresses were beautiful, the regular one was a light shade of brown and the one she was asked to wear for the funeral was black with a golden trim. The male clothes she was given needed some alterations to make them fit for a woman her size but nothing that magic couldn't solve. The breaches were dark blue, there was a white blouse and a dark blue with silver decorated tunic of a thick kind of fabric. Last on the stack of clothing were two sets of undergarments. To her surprise they were very feminine. She wondered if they had been Èowyn's.

Not being able to resist the lure of warm water much longer she stripped down and tested the water. It really was nice and warm, no magic needed. With a sigh she sank down into the warm water and let her body relax. Taking deep breaths she tried to calm down completely. She just sat in the water, feeling the heat seep into her body for a long time. Not only did she forget about her pains, fears and worries but after a while she almost fell asleep. It was only when the water started to cool she started to feel awake again.

Taking full advantage of the bath she used her magic to reheat the water again. She lay there just enjoying the small comfort that had been given to her for a little bit longer. Once the water started to cool again she took the time to wash properly. Gandalf's magic had healed most her wounds but there were still a few cuts that hadn't healed completely. She took care to clean them and used her wand to further heal them. After she was satisfied that she was clean and properly healed she got out and used a drying charm instead of the rough looking cloth they left behind for a towel.

While dressing Ginny was happy to see that the dress they had given her fitted her really well. At first she had thought it had been Èowyn's dress but the lady was a head taller than she. ' _Maybe from another court lady'_ , she thought as she pulled the dress over her head.

Looking down at her body she noticed that it hugged her curves quite well. It also matched her hair and skin tone really beautifully. Ginny wondered if the Shieldmaiden had selected the dress just for that, but disregarded it quickly. These people didn't have much, they would do with what they had and not be picky about fashion.

She dried her hair with her wand and braided it so her bright red hair wouldn't all over the place. Hopefully it would lessen the stares. Once she was ready she left her room and returned to the Golden Hall.


	11. Meeting

_talic: Thought_

 **Bold: Elvish**

 _ **Italic and Bold: Thoughts in Elfish**_

 ** _Don't forget to review!_**

* * *

 **11\. Meeting**

After he had washed and changed into a fresh set of clothes, Legolas left the room to the dwarf and man. While they were taking their time to enjoy the warm bath and redress Legolas felt restless. He had tried cleaning his bow and sorting his arrows but it hadn't calmed him as much as it normally would. He wasn't really sure why but his mind was filled with a certain red head. He couldn't stop thinking about the witch. Either he was worrying about her mental condition or dreaming about how she had smiled at him the night before. Getting annoyed with himself he went to look for Gandalf and king Théoden.

Before setting off through the hallway he stopped for a second at Ginevra's door. He felt compelled to make sure she was all right. He truly worried about her, about how she was dealing with everything but mostly how she was handling the reality of facing a funeral tomorrow. As far as he understood she had just lost so many loved ones, having to attend a funeral so shortly after that wouldn't be the best thing for her. Not with her suicidal feelings. He worried that time alone wasn't the best thing for her right now.

He was about to knock on the door when he heard water plashing. Apparently she was taking a bath. He felt himself flush a bit as he imagined the young Istar in a bath. From the moment they had met he been aware of her beauty. Though she probably wouldn't see it herself, Ginevra was utterly beautiful. Even by elf standards.

Her body was perfectly shaped, strong and athletic though she was a little less tall than the average elf. She had curves in all the right places and he sure wasn't blind to them. Her skin was light and sprinkled with soft freckles that only highlighted her perfection. Imagining her deep brown eyes and full lips made him feel slightly lightheaded. However nothing made her more beautiful than the fire colored hair framing the entire package. A package that made his whole being heat up. He shook his head and quickly set off down the hallway. As he walked Legolas reprimanded himself. It would do him no good to think about Ginevra in that way. She was a heart-broken shell and would probably never be able answer his desires. Even if they, right now, were not even to his understanding. It was best not to let himself go down that path. He shook his head and focused on meeting king Théoden.

"Ah, Legolas." Gandalf said as he walked into the hall. "Let me properly introduce you to the king of Rohan."

Legolas smiled and walked towards the king's table. He was thankful for the many years of court training his father had given him. He was able to shake off any distraction and focus on the task at hand.

"Théoden this is Prince Legolas, son of Thranduil of the woodland realm. Or Mirkwood as it's known these days."

"Welcome to Edoras, Prince Legolas." Théoden greeted him.

"Thank you, Lord Théoden. My condolences for the loss of your son."

"Thank you." Théoden said with a sad smile. "Where are the others?"

"Aragorn and Gimli will be here in a minute. They were taking some time washing up and redressing in clean clothes. Our journey has been a hard and long one with very little time for cleaning." Legolas answered.

"And the lady?"

"Lady Èowyn gave her a room to her own for some privacy." Legolas said.

"I'm sure she will be here soon." Gandalf said to the king.

"It will be a nice distraction to hear all your stories and news." The king mused. "I cannot remember receiving news over the last two years. I think it was the last time you were in Rohan, Gandalf."

Legolas listened in and provided additional information as Gandalf started to tell the king about the happenings in the other parts of Middle Earth. Aragorn and Gimli arrived shortly after Gandalf started to tell the king about the movements of the elves from Rivendell.

Legolas tried to pay attention to the conversations but after a while he let his mind wandered back to Ginevra. She hadn't joined them yet and he couldn't help but worry. Her state of mind appeared to be so fragile in her good moments that he feared she would either completely break down or do something stupid while she was alone. With nobody to distract her from her own thoughts she might spiral into darkness.

He was about to go and see how she was doing when a red headed young lady dressed in a light brown with golden dress fit for an elf princess walked around the corner. His jaw almost dropped when it clicked that this was their young companion. She was absolutely stunning.

§§§

Ginny felt nervous entering the hall. She had been pacing back and forth for about five minutes before working up the courage to enter. She had never been nervous about meeting new people but this was a king. While somewhere she knew Legolas was a prince and Aragorn a future king as well, meeting with Théoden felt completely different. Perhaps it was meeting a king in his own home that made the difference.

The dress she was wearing didn't help either. It was hugging her curves more than she would have liked facing only men and the golden belt that went with the dress did nothing to conceal them, it only accentuated. She had the feeling that it only made her more noticeable than help her blend in with the others. Though, realistically she knew that he jeans and shirt showed off even more of her figure.

Truthfully she couldn't even pinpoint why she was feeling nervous about meeting a king or showing herself to her companions in this dress. _It wasn't like she cared about any of them or about what would happen to her_.

She shook her head knowing that, that was a lie. She did care, even if it was a little. Already she was starting to care about the opinion of the four men she had been traveling with. They had cared for her and been kind to her. Somewhere in her splintered heart they had managed to find a place.

After an additional three minutes of pacing she got angry with herself. She was a Gryffindor for merlin's sake! She was brave enough to face a bunch of men! It wasn't like they could hurt her more than she was already hurting.

When she entered the hall every eye turned to her, maid, servants, men, elf, dwarf and wizard. They all looked at her in shock and awe. She sure wasn't used to this kind of attention. She glanced down at her dress to see if there was something wrong but couldn't find any reason for them to stare at her like that.

To her relieve Gandalf recovered quickly and guided her further into the hall.

"Come, my dear. I know you are not that shy." He whispered to her with a wink.

"Every eye is on me, of course that makes me shy." She muttered. Gandalf chuckled and took her to Théoden.

"King Théoden, this is Lady Ginevra. She is one of the Istari."

"It's an honor to meet you, my lady." The king nodded.

"The honor is all mine, Lord Théoden." Ginny said with a slight bow. "Thank you and Lady Èowyn for the clothes and the warm bath."

"It's nothing, milady. We take care of our guests." Théoden said with a fatherly smile. His eyes roamed over her form but his eyes weren't lightened with lust but with curiosity. "It's hard to believe that the immense power of the Istari houses in such a small frame." His tone wasn't degrading or insulting just pure wonder.

Next to her Gandalf chuckled.

"She has more power ready in her little finger than I have in my whole body, Théoden king." Gandalf said with a chuckle. "Don't let the female disguise fool you."

"Oh, I won't. I'm just curious as so far the Istari have always been in the shapes of old men, wizards."

"I can demonstrate a few things at a more convenient time, King Théoden. To put your mind at ease." Ginny answered calmly.

"That would be nice, Lady Ginevra." Théoden nodded before he returned to his conversation with Aragorn and Gandalf. Ginny took it that she was dismissed and sat down at the table next to Gimli.

"That dress sure makes you look different, lass." Gimli commented.

"Thanks, I'm just not used to dresses. Back home women usually don't wear floor length dresses. We are much more used to women wearing pants and shirts. Èowyn was so friendly to get me some normal clothes as well."

"It would be a shame to not see you in that dress after today, Ginevra." Legolas commented. She blushed a little at his comment but quickly shook her head.

"No, it would be a shame to ruin this." She disagreed. "I really can't function in this without ruining it."

A short while later dinner was served and Ginny found herself surprised by the amount of food. From what she had seen the people here didn't have much. Even in this royal housing everything was very minimal, everything but the food and the clothing it seemed. Though she felt a little weird eating all this food while the people in the town seemed close to starvation.

Seeing her hesitation Legolas explained to her that during Saruman's control over Théoden the food that had been available had been used only for those loyal to the wizard. People in the town had been cut off from the food supplies completely. Legolas told her that when Théoden found out he had immediately ordered his men to start handing out food to the town's people.

"Eat, lass. You never know when you get another chance." Gimli said as he held out a plate with what looked like beef.

"Thanks." She muttered and took the plate. She still didn't care much for food. It felt as if an overwhelming sadness sat in her stomach taking away all her appetite but she reminded herself that if she didn't eat she would die rather quickly. As she very recently had been reminded of her promise to Harry, Ginny decided that dying due to starvation wouldn't be a good idea.

"What are the King, Aragorn and Gandalf discussing?" She asked Legolas as he sat down next to her.

"Just sharing news. It's been a long time since Rohan received news from other countries."

Ginny glanced over her shoulder, all three men looked quite serious and worried.

"I take it that it isn't good news." She murmured.

"No, besides the news about Sauron's and Saruman's allegiance, the loss of Théoden's only son and heir, the king has to deal with a war that is coming. Uruk-hai and wildmen are roaming freely and unchecked through Rohan destroying their food supply and killing it's people. The poor man has a lot to deal with at the moment." Gimli said.

"The loss of his son and only heir is hitting him hard." Legolas nodded.

"What about Lady Èowyn? Can't women rule a country here?" Ginny asked as she watched Èowyn helping some court lady.

Both men looked up at her with surprise.

"What women are just as capable of ruling a country as men, maybe even better." Ginny argued. "Women are raised from birth to run a household of unruly men and children. Running a country isn't that different."

"Perhaps, lass but no, normally women run the household not the country." Gimli shook his head. "In dwarf society women do not rule. Though the wife of the king has always some sort of influence. Most women are content with taking care of a household and children. The ones that are ambitious usually do not choose for a leading role in society but in the arts of jewel making."

"With elves it's a bit different. My mother did control some things in our court and was always present in important meetings. My father respected her opinion greatly. These days my sisters can make decisions in my father's absence or mine. Their rule has to be followed but the law is that the army has to be commanded by a man. Most women cannot and will not handle the realities of war. Because the world of men don't take women all that seriously it's easier to have a king during negotiations." Legolas explained. "Théoden's court isn't like that. He would agree to let lady Èowyn rule after him but lady Èowyn isn't inline for the throne, she is the King's niece. She has an older brother, Lord Èomer, who would be next in line for the throne were Théoden to die."

Ginny nodded, she felt a bit annoyed that men here was so degrading to women but she knew this world seemed a bit stuck in the middle ages and on earth in the middle ages women were very unrecognized as well. It comforted her a bit that at least here she was in the company of people who were not like that.

Later the king, Aragorn and Gandalf joined them at the table. A lot of stories were told and Ginny listened closely. From the way Théoden talked about Rohan she understood that he loved his country and his people dearly but that he had a hard time to protect them all from the evil forces. She felt for him as he spoke off the regular Orc and wildmen attacks and how he felt like he was failing his people.

Aragorn comforted the king with wise words and the promise to see if he could be of any help. It became clear to Ginny that Aragorn was well respected by the king. Though she wasn't sure why, it seemed that Théoden was a much more experiences leader than Aragorn but Théoden listened to Aragorn ideas and would often ask Aragorn to explain his ideas and plans.

All men talked about the news of Middle Earth. Aragorn informed them about the comings and goings of the rangers of the north and what he had picked up during his travels to Bree, a town close to the Shire.

Gimli told them about Moria, what happened there and about how the other realms of the dwarves found it hard to deal with the darkness that was spreading through all corners of middle earth.

Legolas told horror stories about large spiders that had invaded his country. Mirkwood as his home was called these days had been under constant attack for many years. He told about the darkness that had taken over his once beautiful home. Legolas also spoke about a creature named Gollum. This creature was somehow connected to the ring but Ginny didn't know why and it wasn't talked about.

Especially Legolas's lament about how his people were driven into hiding in caves by the dark creatures that haunted his homeland made her feel really sad for the elf.

While the men spoke she learned a lot about Middle Earth, about the countries and about the up coming war. She started to understand why four such a different men were fighting together. Gandalf because of his love for this earth and its people, Gimli because he felt that his proud race should fight for their existence, be a part of it. Legolas because he wanted to restore the life and future of his home country and Aragorn because he felt that the fact that the ring still existed was his personal failure. He wanted to set things right and redeem something that wasn't his to redeem.

While playing wit her food Ginny wondered if she would fight with them? She had just lived through a war; she really didn't want to face another war. The horrors, the pain, the blood, the noise, everything was still so fresh and so haunting. Yet, here she found herself surrounded by men, new friends, who were linked to the out come of the war in one way or another. Would she be able to leave them to fight and watch from the sidelines?

And if she fought with them what should she fight for? Just for a tentative friendship? Back home she had fought for her freedom and survival, for her family and for her love.

However in Middle Earth she didn't have any of it. She had no family here, no boyfriend, and at times she didn't even have the will to survive. All she had were four men who seemed to care about her and for whom she had started to care a little.

She thought about going with the men into battle and just let herself be killed. Harry would be so angry with her if she did it that way. Even with all the pain and horrors he went through Harry always had the desire to live. Harry had that drive to survive, the dream of a better world that made him fight for that what he thought was innocent of evil. Harry had never wanted somebody innocent to be hurt, so wouldn't he understand that it hurt just to be alive right now? How lost and alone she felt.

Looking at the reality of her current situation she concluded a few things. One, she was very much alive and she knew in her heart that she wanted to survive; even when at the moment it seemed just too painful. Two, that she wouldn't be able to survive and regain at least a small bit of happiness in a world covered with darkness, so the good side needed to win this war. And three, there was no way she would stand aside while others died around her for what was now her world too.

Ginny looked at the men around her. She realized had already she had three maybe four new friends. Maybe she could fight for something new to build. Even if that new future was unknown and slightly scary.

"I'm going to retire for the night." The king said, pulling her out her thoughts. "You are welcome to eat and drink some more but please, my friends, be there tomorrow morning."

"We will." Aragorn said to the king and the others nodded.

Gandalf and Aragorn followed the king out. Ginny decided to try and have some sleep as well. She said goodnight to the others and walked to her room. She did notice some ladies watching her, gossiping about her. She wondered if it was just because she was different or if it was because she was a friend of Gandalf. _Or maybe because I'm the only woman with four men_ , she thought idly.

In her room she spend a good hour altering the clothes they had given her so they would fit properly. Once she was happy with the way they hung loosely around her body she folded them and placed them on the chair. After the funeral she would wear those and ask Aragorn for some sword training.

With a bit of magic the bed was made more comfortable and warm. She curled up under the blanket and closed her eyes but after two hours of tossing and turning Ginny found she that couldn't sleep. She was nervous for the funeral. She was afraid her own demons would be too strong and that she would break down. It wouldn't do to break down in front of so many people. She would be quickly labeled as insane and dangerous.

The more she thought about the funeral the queasier she began to feel about it all.

Sweat broke out and the pain grew. In hurt her badly that she would never have the chance to say goodbye to Harry and her family. Not even Umbridge's quill or the torture she had to endure from the Carrow's hurt that much. It was ripping her heart further apart. She cried uncontrollably for hours, her breathing broken in hick ups. The pain never lessened. The tears didn't sooth it.

After a long time of crying she started to feel angry. Angry with herself, her family, Harry, Voldemort and the rest of the world. When the anger grew almost out of control she threw off the blankets and got up. She needed some fresh air. Maybe the cold wind would take away the mess in her head.

She put on the cloak that was still waiting to be given back to its owner and headed to the door that would lead to the back balcony of the Golden Hall.

Ginny hurried her steps through the long hallway, as she needed to get out. With the anger in her, her magic felt wild and ready to explode in a burst of aggression. She didn't want to cause fires or injury with her uncontrollable force.

Outside the wind was blowing hard and it was cold. She stopped just outside the door and let the coldness wash over her. The biting wind took away her angry thoughts and cleared her head a little. While taking deep breaths she looked out over the lands. It was bathing in the light of a bright moon. Slowly she tried to control her magic and anger.

It was hard to let go of her anger as she was continuously thinking about the unfairness of it all.

Had it been too much to ask to die too? Who thought it to be funny to torture her even more and dump her completely alone in an unknown world that was at the brink of war? She should have been with Harry. She should have been with her family right now. Dead or alive she wanted to be with them.

Yet, here she was, on a windy cold balcony very much alive and alone.

She sank down against the back wall and fought for control over her emotions and tears. Being connected with the solid wall behind her calmed her a bit. It was something real, something to hold on to. Sometimes everything seemed like an insane nightmare, the wall for now was her only hold on reality. She didn't like this reality but at least it was better than to slide into madness.

The longer she sat there the calmer she got. The fresh air made her head clearer and her breathing easier.

After a while she felt somebody next to her. When she looked up she saw Legolas standing next to her. He wasn't looking at her but out over the fields.

"Hey." She whispered. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"I wasn't sleeping." Legolas said as he looked down at her with a soft smile. "Elves don't need as much sleep as humans."

Ginny nodded and looked away again. She felt him move and sat down next to her.

"I heard you, I wondered if you needed somebody." He whispered.

Ginny shook her head; "I don't want to bother you with my pain. You have worries enough already."

"It is always better to share, Ginevra." Legolas said calmly. She looked up at him. He looked so normal sitting there next to her, besides his unreal beauty and pointy ears, that is. There was no sign of royalty in the elf as he sat on the wooden floor. Just a man, elf, who was trying to help a lost girl. She felt connected with him. She couldn't understand why but it felt like the connection of trust she had with Harry. She just trusted the tall elf.

She decided that he was probably right. Keeping the pain in will only cause more trouble. Accidental magic was just around the corner when you couldn't control your emotions. She gave in with a sigh.

"I'm afraid." She whispered.

"For what?"

"For tomorrow, the funeral."

Legolas nodded. He seemed to move to take her hand but he didn't, instead he turned his body so he could face her properly.

"You don't have to be afraid, death is something we all have to face at one point in our lives. Even for us elves it seems an unavoidable thing. Friends die and even though we are meant to be around forever, some of us die or leave these lands. Attending ceremonies to remember and honor them is a part of it."

"It's not the funeral itself I fear. It's more that I'm afraid I'll break into pieces. I never got the chance…" She admitted. If it was even possible his face turned even softer, more understanding.

"If you want to I'll stand next to you. I'll support you if you need it." He said in a whisper.

"That's very nice of you to offer." Ginny whispered. She pulled her eyes away from his. The intensity of his eyes was becoming too much to handle. It felt like he was trying to look into her soul and see the horrors for himself.

"I would be honored if you consider taking it."

Ginny didn't know how to react to his comment. She gave him a small smile and looked out over the fields again. Legolas was right she did feel a little better now she spoke out her fear. Even if it was just a little part of her constant fear and pain.

Deep within her heart there were bigger and darker things. Things she really didn't want to visit because she feared them more than death. The second blood war had left scars, cuts and wounds so deep that she wasn't sure that they would ever heal. For now, she had decided to push them away and focus on the now. Trying to keep her promise to Harry.

Next to her the elf seemed comfortable with just sitting there in silence. She looked at him for a few seconds. His eyes scanned the fields around Edoras. It seemed to her that he was looking for something, waiting for something to happen.

"What will happen after the funeral of the King's son?" She asked him, wondering if he was waiting for enemies or something.

"I do not know yet." He said softly. "Gandalf expects war to come to Rohan."

"Yes, I know."

"The king will have to decide the best course for Rohan. He will look to Gandalf and perhaps Aragorn for guidance but battle seems unavoidable."

"I was afraid of that." Ginny sighed. She resigned herself to another war. If she wanted it or not, she was going to be a part of it. Would she die and join Harry again or would she live and try to make something of her life? Either way, war was coming.

Legolas turned to look at her. He looked a bit surprised.

"Nobody expects you to fight." He said softly.

"I know but I don't think I have a choice." She said as she shook her head.

"Everybody has a choice." He argued.

"Really? Do I really have a choice? Please tell me, what choice do I have." Ginny snapped. This phrase, she had heard many times before and it was just so untrue that she had started to hate it. Nobody had a choice. The only choice was that between darkness and light, between pain and happiness. Harry, never had a choice, he was doomed to fight. Her family never really had a choice. They would have been murdered if they hadn't fought. When Legolas didn't reply she sighed and shook her head. "I don't have a choice Legolas. I landed in a world on the brink of war. A place where no matter what happens a war needs to be fought before I get a chance to even try and live my life. I don't know much about this world, I don't know much about the enemies or the darkness that is in this world and I don't know what will hunt me here but if it's anything similar like what hunted me back home… I won't have the option of turning away. It will be choosing between what is right and what is easy and for me it will always be choosing 'right' or I will never have peace."

"Why not?" He asked.

"My powers." She shrugged. "Apparently I'm too powerful in this bloody world to go unnoticed. Greedy dark lords and bloody wizards would want to use me for their own gain. Peace will only come with death or with the defeat of everything dark." She said passionately. "You see how I don't have a choice. You can't hide me in the hope I'll be overlooked. Anything with a little feel for magic will quickly find me. What choice do I have then but fight."

A silence fell between them as they both felt the truth of her words settle in their minds. Inside her a battle raged for a few seconds but the outcome of it was quickly settled. She could never side with the dark side so it was death or fight for her. After a while she got up and smiled at the elf.

"I'm going back to bed. Thank you for listening, Legolas."

"You are welcome, milady."


	12. The Funeral

**AN: Please don't forget to review!**

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 **12\. The Funeral**.

Legolas watched the young witch walking back into the Hall. He felt a little shaken by their conversation. He could understand why she feared attending the funeral and her pain about not being able to say goodbye to her loved ones. He could even understand her feelings about life and death. Especially after all she had been through but the way she just resigned to a future with war, battle, pain and horror was hard to understand.

Being in a war had never scared him. He wasn't afraid to meet his enemy head on and deal with them when needed. This was one of the many things that made him a good warrior.

However, he was very much aware of the horrific things that happened during the war, the lives that were taken, the women were raped, the children used as slaves and the men that were tortured. It had taken him a long time to come to terms with the fact that he would never be able to totally prevent it. Those images would haunt him for eternity. Yet, Ginevra talked about stepping into a war as if all the horrors meant nothing to her.

He didn't want to push her for answers, Gandalf had advised against it and Legolas was sure that if pushed too hard she would completely shut down but it left him unsatisfied and with more questions than answers.

He looked back to the door through which she had left and wondered why he was so intent on getting answers from her. Why did he feel such a connection with the Istar? Never before had he felt so protective, emotional involved and attracted to a female before.

Whenever she was close by he wanted to shield her from the pain he saw in her eyes. He wanted to talk to her and make her laugh. He wanted to pull her close and kiss those full red lips and run his hands over her lite body.

He growled at himself and shook his head. He couldn't think about her in that way. There were too many things preventing him from ever acting on those feelings and even if he could explore those feelings, she had just lost somebody she loved like that. She was not ready to explore those feelings for somebody else and wouldn't be for a long time.

Taking a calming breath he decided to stay outside, the clear crisp air helped him clear his mind.

§§§§§§§§

Ginny entered the Golden Hall very early the next morning. After talking to Legolas on the balcony she had managed to sleep without nightmares for a few hours but in the end the eyes of the death woke her up with the sunrise. She was wearing the dark dress Èowyn had given her. Her hair was pulled up in an elegant braid and fastened with a few pins on the back of her head. She looked, according to herself, very presentable.

To her surprised she found the dining table in the Hall empty. She had expected at least Gimli or some of the king's men to be there eating breakfast but there was no one around. It was eerily silent.

She was about to move towards the table for a light breakfast when she heard a soft sniffling. Looking in the direction of the sound she saw the king sitting on his throne. He was dressed in dark clothes and with the early morning light it was very easy to overlook him as his throne sat in the shadows. He was alone and one of his hands covered his face.

Ginny swallowed as she realized that he was crying. She felt very uncomfortable as she knew men didn't want to be seen crying. Especially not by women! For a minute she stood there unable to move or make any decisions as she watched the king in his misery. She though about leaving the man to his grief and go out for a walk but the king looked so lonely that she felt for him. She really couldn't turn away and just leave him alone in his pain.

Soundlessly she walked towards Théoden and knelt down in front of him. She took his free hand into hers. There was little movement from Théoden when she did so. He was shaking slightly, the tremors of his soft cries were noticeable from this close by. She realized the amount of pain this man felt was similar to what she had been through since the final battle. Remembering the agonizing pain of immediate loss constricted her chest for a second. If the king felt even half of the pain she was feeling it would have been too much. She wouldn't wish that kind of pain on anyone except Voldemort and Sauron.

She opened her mouth to say something to the crying man in an attempt to lessen his pain but what could she say to him if she couldn't even deal with her own pain and loss.

Somewhere in the back of her head she heard Legolas's voice talking to her, ' _You need to talk about it at some point_ '…

She gripped the king's hand even tighter it was only then that did he looked up at her. His eye widened in surprise as he realized it wasn't Èowyn who was there to comfort him. Ginny managed to smile softly at him.

"I'm so sorry for your loss, King Théoden." She whispered and the king nodded slightly and closed his eyes again. Another tear ran down his face. He seemed to accept the comfort she was offering. To her relieve he didn't pull away or got angry with her. Apparently he wasn't ashamed of showing his grief to her.

Ginny took a deep breath and continued. "Very recently I lost everything I loved. My parents, my brothers, my friends, my best friend and my boyfriend. It hurts like crazy. Sometimes it's too much and I can't even breathe. Yet, I can't imagine how much it must hurt to loose a child. It must be the most brutal form of torture. I can't take away your pain or bring back the dead. I can't even deal with my own pain without breaking into a thousand pieces. I can only offer a hug, a hand, an ear for you to talk too if you want it or a shoulder to cry on, my lord."

She fell silent as the king looked at her with wide but unreadable eyes. He looked at her for such a long time that she started to fear she had insulted him but suddenly he pulled her into a hug. After the initial surprise she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back.

Strangely, the fatherly hug was like a healing balm for her. It felt good to have somebody to hug and share her grief with. She had needed it so much.

They sat like that for a minute or so until the king released her. He gave her a watery smile.

"Thank you, milady. Nobody has ever offered me such a comfort." He whispered.

"Sometimes everybody needs a shoulder to cry on." Ginny said softly as she grabbed his hands. "You can use mine when you need it."

"Thank you." King Théoden said with a soft smile. "It must be hard, losing everything, I mean."

Ginny shuddered from the pain as it made its appearance in her chest once more but she gritted her teeth and swallowed it away.

"It is, my lord. I don't even know how to deal with it yet."

"Neither do I." He sighed.

Their conversation was interrupted by the loud arrival of Gimli and just a few seconds later by the rest of the group. Everybody seemed surprised to see her sitting on her knees in front of the king with her hands in his but they didn't ask. Though, Ginny was sure she saw in Legolas eyes that he knew what she had been doing. In conformation he gave her a soft smile.

Breakfast was a silent affair. Legolas explained softly to Ginny what would happen during the funeral so that she was prepared for anything. They talked in whisper as Aragorn and Gandalf spoke with the king. They were offering kind words and advise but every now and then Ginny saw the king's eyes flickering to her. She knew that they couldn't help the king with his pain. Only death or time could.

Later that morning everything was ready for the funeral. As promised Legolas, was by her side as they walked out of the city in a procession. Her arm linked in his for support. Aragorn walked on her other side. He was softly murmuring some song. Somehow it sounded very fitting for the procession.

In front of the procession six strong men carried the body of the king's son on a platform to the burial site.

The path to the small hill was long and with each step Ginny felt her strength leaving her. Darkness and memories were slowly taking over her mind. Legolas's grip on her arm tightened to keep her upright. She tried to focus on the feeling of his hand on her arm but it didn't do much. The feeling of his warm touch was fading as it was taken over by the pain and panic.

By the time they reached the burial mount she was shaking with emotions and not really mentally there anymore. Since Thèodred's hair was raven colored and his skin very pale it wasn't that difficult for her mind to make it Harry's funeral. He would sure have had a kingly funeral back home.

By now her family, Hermione and Harry would have been buried. She was in this world for five days already. Surely back home arrangements would have been made. _By somebody from the bloody ministry probably_ , She thought sneeringly. Or maybe McGonagall had arranged a memorial for them. She hadn't been there to say goodbye.

She imagined being there, a by the ministry arranged hero's funeral and hating every moment of it. She would have been there by herself. No Hermione to cry with. No Luna to tell her some silly story that would make everything a bit easier. No Harry to hold her tightly. She would have been alone with nobody to support her.

She tried to keep her head high and taking slow breaths to keep away the breakdown but she was shaking so hard that it was difficult to move at all. She was thankful for Legolas pulling her to his side and holding her tightly. At least he made sure she wouldn't stumble and fall.

Suddenly Èowyn started to sing. The language was unknown to her but it was so heartbreaking that she couldn't help a soft whimper escaping from her. She couldn't stop her tears any more. The last of her strength was leaving and her knees started to fail. Just seconds before her legs totally gave out she felt a strong arm around her waist. She looked up expecting to see Legolas holding her but it was Aragorn who looked at her with a worried expression. She tried to give him a watery smile but failed. He squeezed her softly and she gave into his comfort. It felt good to rely on somebody else for once.

On her other side Legolas stepped closer to her and lowered his arm to take hold of her hand. It was a more intimate gesture than holding on to his arm but she didn't care. His hand brought comfort. Even more than she liked to admit.

She leaned against Aragorn as she watched the men lowered Théodred into the tomb.

The men stepped back from the tomb and as Èowyn stopped singing the heavy stone door fell shut. A loud thumb echoed through the air and silence fell around them. Only the soft crying of a few women could be heard.

After a few minutes the people around them left and Ginny realized it was over. In those the last ten minutes she had buried them all, Bill, Fleur, Harry, Hermione, Ron, the twins, Charlie, Luna, Neville, and her parent but she would never be able to really say goodbye to them.

Still it was over… she let out a sigh and shuddered as the tension left her.

"Come." Aragorn whispered in her ear. Too weak from her own grief Ginny didn't protest and let Aragorn steer her back to the Golden Hall. It was surprising that she was able to walk herself. Her legs felt heavy and more like jelly and actual limbs.

As she let go of his hand Ginny glanced over her shoulder at Legolas. She had felt his eyes on her the whole time. They still were, he looked worried but she managed to give him a small watery smile, which he answered.

Aragorn led her away from the official gathering in the Hall and to her bedroom. Gimli and Legolas made to follow them but somebody held them up. She heard some guard asking them something but couldn't really care about it. Both elf and dwarf were capable enough with out her worrying about them. Once inside her room Aragorn carefully placed her on her bed and sat down next to her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked softly. She shook her head.

"Can't… not yet." Her voice sounded thick with tears.

The door opened again and Gimli and Legolas walked in. Both were looking very worried at her. Legolas stepped in two long strides towards her and knelt down in front of her. His hands took hers and he rubbed his thumb softly over her palms.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly.

"I will be." She whispered. "It was just too much too soon. I just kept seeing them on that bed."

"Is there anything we can do?" Aragorn asked her.

She let out a watery chuckle. It was so strange, here she was sitting in a medieval bedroom with three still strange men around her, all of some kind of nobility non-the-less and they were all offering her comfort. Not that long ago she used to be the strong one.

"No…I don't think you can." She said placing her free hand over Aragorn's rough hands. "But thank you for offering."

"I know something that might help." Gimli spoke up. The all looked at him in surprise. "Why don't we go do something fun until Gandalf and the king return from their little ceremony."

"Like what? I think it's highly inappropriate to do something fun right now." Aragorn said.

"The young lady wanted to learn how to wield a sword. Why don't we start with her training? I think it will help her to deal with the anger and it will take her mind of other things for a while." Gimli looked directly at her.

She smiled at him as she realized that Gimli understood her feelings better than she had expected from the dwarf. Besides the pain and sadness there was a massive amount of anger running through her body. She was so angry at the unfairness of it all that it was a miracle that she hadn't burned down the town in a fit of accidental magic.

"I think that is a good idea." Ginny nodded at Gimli with a grateful smile.

The others gave in and after she had changed into the breeches and tunic, the group left for a small area to the side of the main square where a handful of Rohan soldiers were training as well. Aragorn greeted some of the men and led them to the armory.

"Let's see if we can find you a sword to train with." He said as he stepped in. Ginny stopped just outside and waited with Legolas and Gimli for Aragorn to return. "Here try this, it isn't sharp, so you don't have to be afraid of hurting anyone."

Ginny took the short sword in her hand. She glanced at the sword Aragorn was holding, it was much longer than the one he had given her.

"The length of the sword depends on the length and the strength of the one who is wielding it. You can't really wield a long sword like this." He explained as he saw her look between both swords. Ginny nodded, it made sense.

She grabbed the hilt of the sword firmly in one hand. It was heavy. Aragorn stepped towards her and showed her how to hold the sword with two hands. "Hold it like this with both hands. For now it will be easier for you to hold a sword with both hands. Once you become stronger in your arms, you can try to wield it single handedly."

Ginny nodded and copied the placement of his hands.

"Good. Now just follow my moves."

Aragorn showed her different moves to defend herself from an attack and how to go from a defensive move to an offensive move. For half an hour they danced around. Aragorn was a good and patient teacher, not focusing on her hitting something but purely on her technique.

Every now and then Legolas would give some advise or show her how he worked certain moves differently from Aragorn. He only did this when he thought it suited her light figure better. He explained to her that body weight and build were important to how to efficiently wield a sword or long knife. Gimli was shouting encouragements from the sideline.

"You learn quickly, Lady Ginevra." Aragorn commented as she quickly changed from defending herself to attacking him.

She was about to thank him when there was some commotion at the gate.

"Ginevra!" Somebody called her. She recognized Gandalf's voice and it sounded like he needed help. Quickly she handed her sword to Aragorn and ran towards Gandalf. To her utter surprise he was carrying a young boy who looked to be unconscious.

"Here take him please." Gandalf said as he held out his arms. Ginny took the small boy from his arms and looked down at him. He looked dirty and malnourished. A bruise above his eyes made her think he had fallen hard in his head.

"What happened to him?" She asked.

"He fell of a large horse." Gandalf said as he turned around. King Théoden was walking towards them, a small girl at his side and a horse following them.

"Please take them to Èowyn, look after them." Théoden asked her as he pushed the little girl toward her. Ginny was slightly annoyed that they asked her to do it, like the handful of men around her were incapable of taking care of a child. Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli would have been able to take care of the little kids perfectly well. She knew that it was just because she was a woman that they asked her but the children looked in such a bad shape that she didn't object.

Though, the king saw her annoyance.

"I'll bring the horse to the stable and meet you in the Golden Hall so we can hear the story of the children." He said kindly. She nodded and smiled at the king. He meant well, these men just didn't know better. She would teach them.

"Come darling, lets get you cleaned up and fed." She said to the girl.

"But what about Éothain, he needs help!" the little girl protested as she looked at the king.

"This woman will be able to help your brother." He said calmly. "He will be alright in a few minutes." The girl seemed reassured and walked over to Ginny.

She heaved the boy higher up on her hip so that she could carry him better. Suddenly Legolas stepped towards her and held out his hands.

"I'll carry him, if you want me to."

She hated to admit to the lack in her strength but the boy was heavy and they would be quicker if he did carry him.

"Please." She nodded and handed the boy over. She grabbed the girl's hand and took her up the steps to the Golden Hall. On the top of the stairs Èowyn was already waiting for them with the door open so they could enter easily.

"Come in, quickly. Lets get them warm and fed." She said as she stepped aside for them.

"Take the girl, please. Than I can have a look at the boy and see if I can heal him." Ginny said as Èowyn closed the doors behind them.

Seconds later Èowyn moved the girl to sit close to the fire while Legolas placed the boy on a hide on the floor next to his sister.

Ginny knelt down next to them and looked over the boy. He was still unconscious in Legolas's arms. She checked for his pulse first, to her relieve it was strong but a bit unregularly. She noticed his skin was dry and very inflexible for his age. He was very dehydrated. She waved her wand to do a diagnostic spell and found nothing very worrying beside the need for water.

She turned to the girl who was huddling by the fire.

"Was he injured?" She asked.

"No, mama told to him to ride to Edoras. We were away before the wild men could get to us."

"When was the last time you had something to eat? Or drink?"

"At least two moons." The girl answered sadly. "Is Éothain dead?" Tears started to form in her eyes as she watched the limp boy in Legolas's arms. Ginny took a quick step towards her and kneeled in front of her.

"What's your name?"

"Freda, milady." She mumbled.

"Freda, no, Èothain isn't dead. He'll wake up in a few seconds, I promise. While I get him better, you should drink something."

"Are you a healer?" the girl asked boldly.

"Something like that." Ginny said with a smile and got up. Èowyn was already handing the girl a goblet of water. Ginny nodded to the woman and smiled friendly.

She walked towards Legolas and motioned him to let go of the boy and fully lay him down on the hide. She pulled out her wand and performed a healing spell on the large bump on his head. She heard Legolas take in a breath as the bruise and bump disappeared immediately. When the boy didn't wake up immediately she tried a different approach.

"Rennervate." She whispered. The boy snapped his eyes open and jolted up. He gasped in shock as he looked around him.

"Éothain!" the girls shouted and ran towards them. "You are awake!"

Ginny looked up at a shocked elf. She smiled at him and got up.

"Useful huh?" She asked him.

"Very." He said with an awed smile.

The children hugged each other and chatted softly. The boy looked quite fearful around him while his sister held him. He immediately tried to shield her from the people in the room.

"It's alright, we are not going to hurt you." Ginny told him. "Why don't we get you something to eat and drink? You can tell us what happened while you eat and warm up."

The kids had just finished their story to her and Èowyn when the other men entered the Hall. Èowyn immediately started to tell the terrible story of the children to the men. To Ginny it became very clear that the young woman was very passionate about her country. She told the men as it was with no hesitance to face both King and warriors. She felt her respect for the Shield Maiden grow. This was a really strong woman, one fit to rule.

"They had no warning. They were unarmed. Now the Wild Men are moving through the Westfold, burning as they go!" The Shield maiden almost yelled. She sighed and shook her head. "Rick, cot and tree."

The children weren't oblivious to the conversation between the grown ups. They knew something was up and looked around worriedly.

"Where's mama?" The girl asked. She looked very scared as the adults talked about war. With a soft touch Èowyn tried to comfort her a bit and ordered her to eat. Ginny watched as the men all looked worried. She was worried, what evil would attack just for fun… besides Death Eaters that is…

"This is but a taste of the terror that Saruman will unleash. All the more potent for he is driven now by the fear of Sauron. Ride out and meet him head on." Gandalf advised the king. "Draw him away from your women and children. You must fight."

Ginny could see the king wasn't agreeing with the wizard. Though Gandalf's idea was a good one, Ginny could see it lacked certain things. Like, the assurance that the city with the women and children would be safe. They also lacked information on the enemy and their movements; one should never attack an unknown enemy. They needed to know what they were up against first. As far as she knew, they didn't even know the size of the army Saruman had. She knew Théoden was thinking the same.

"You have 2000 good men riding north as we speak. Éomer is loyal to you. His men will return and fight for their king." Aragorn commented. Ginny knew he was agreeing with Gandalf's idea, though she couldn't understand why. She had assumed Aragorn to be a good tactical mind when it came to battle. Riding to face an unknown enemy on unfamiliar ground wasn't a great tactical move.

However as she looked to the ranger she realized that Aragorn preferred to meet dangers head on. He wasn't the one to sit idle while others were suffering. It reminded her of a few men she knew. Apparently he truly would fit into Gryffindor House. _Just like Sirius had_ , Ginny mused. Théoden got up and walked towards the group that were sitting at the table. He looked tired, sad and slightly angry.

"They will be 300 leagues from here by now. Éomer cannot help us." He argued. Gandalf made to speak once more but Théoden held up his hand, "I know what it is that you want of me, but I will not bring further death to my people. I will not risk open war."

"Open war is upon you, whether you would risk it or not." Aragorn argued. Ginny closed her eyes and shook her head. It was a difference in opinions, they would never agree on the subject.

"When last I looked, Théoden, not Aragorn, was king of Rohan." Théoden said heatedly. Aragorn looked sad and shocked at this comment but didn't argue any further.

"Then what is the king's decision?" Gandalf asked with a sigh.

"We shall head for the fortress of Helm's Deep. The women and children will be save there. We can defend it. Háma! Send out word for all of Rohan to come to the fortress. Every able body must be ready to defend the fortress." The king ordered.

Gandalf sighed and shook his head. Ginny saw some anger in his eyes but it was only a flash of it.

"You'll need all the help you can get there, Théoden king. I'll go and find Éomer and his men." Gandalf spoke curtly. Without waiting for a reply he nodded towards the king and left the hall, the others followed. With an understanding glance at Théoden, Ginny turned to follow her companions. She had to run to keep up.

The wizard was indeed angry. His long and urgent strides made her worry.

"What's wrong with the king's decision?" She asked softly.

"Helm's Deep. They flee to the mountains when they should stand and fight." Gimli told her. He sounded annoyed with the king as well and he didn't make much sense.

As they entered the stables Gimli spoke up again.

"Who will defend them if not their king?"

"He's only doing what he thinks is best for his people. Helm's Deep has saved them in the past." Aragorn said calmly.

"There is no way out of that ravine. Théoden is walking into a trap. He thinks he's leading them to safety. What they will get is a massacre." Gandalf said angrily as he opened Shadowfax's stable. "Théoden has a strong will, but I fear for him. I fear for the survival of Rohan. He will need you before the end, Aragorn. The people of Rohan will need you. The defenses have to hold."

"They will hold." Aragorn promised. Gandalf looked at Ginny, his expression pained.

"I know, Gandalf, I know." She said with a sigh before the wizard could start to apologies to her. "I don't have a choice."

"I'm afraid not, dear." He whispered to her. "Keep yourself safe. No business with letting yourself being killed. I want to talk to you again." He said sternly.

"I'll try." She said with a smile. Gandalf nodded at her and turned to the horse.

"The Grey Pilgrim. That's what they used to call me. Three hundred lives of Men I've walked this earth, and now I have no time." Gandalf sighed and heaved himself up on the horse. "With luck, my search will not be in vain. Look to my coming at first light on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the east."

Aragorn nodded and threw the door of the stable open.

"Go." He said to the wizard. They watched him race out of the stables, people jumping aside to avoid being knocked over. Ginny ran out of the stables to watch her friend race away from the city.

"You'll see him again soon."

She turned to see Legolas standing next to her, also watching over the plains at the white wizard.

"Will he find them?"

"I don't know. Rohan is a large country but we have met Éomer recently so he has a clear idea of where to look."

Ginny nodded and watched until the wizard was no longer visible. She sighed and let her shoulders fall.

"Well, we better get moving." She said. "I guess we will be riding with the king."

"Yes, we better get packed."


	13. On the road

_**AN: Please ensure you review! We writers live for reviews.**_

 _ **Enjoy Ginny's first part of the trip with the people of Rohan.**_

* * *

 **13\. On the Road.**

An hour later Ginny was bathed, her hair braided, dressed and packed for the trip to the fortress. She was placing her jeans and shirt in a bag that Aragorn had given her. With a little bit of magic she made it a backpack with enough space in it to hold everything she wanted and some additional flasks of water and food. At first she had wanted to wear her jeans and shirt as they made her feel more comfortable but in the end she had opted to wear the breeches, as they were even more comfortable for riding.

A knock on her door startled her from her musings about what was to come.

"Come in."

"Are you ready, milady?" a woman asked. "The king would like to meet you at the stables."

"Yes, I'm coming."

Ginny slung her backpack over her shoulder and followed the woman out. The town's square was very busy. People were loading carts with food and blankets. Others were managing children and helping elderly people. The royal group, Èowyn included stood in front of the stables.

"You wished to see me, king Théoden?" She asked as she walked up next to him.

"Yes, have you ever been on a horse by yourself?"

"Once."

"Do you know how to ride one?"

"A bit." She admitted.

"Good, you'll learn soon enough how to ride well. I want you to take a horse as well." King Théoden told her. "You'll be saver on a horse and I think you might like the freedom."

Ginny couldn't hide her shock. As Théoden made it quite a ceremony of offering her a horse she understood that it was something special to be offered a horse by the king. Especially when the men around them looked at her with surprise and awe.

"That's… that's very kind of you, my lord." She stammered.

Théoden smiled at her and nodded.

"I am riding as well, milady. I could give you some tips if you need them. We will ride next to each other at first." Èowyn said.

"That would be nice." Ginny nodded. She looked over the woman's shoulder to see Legolas approach them with two horses.

"They gave me this horse for you, Ginevra." He explained as he held out the reins. It was a light grey horse. He was tall, strong and proud. Ginny took the reins from the elf and patted the horse softly.

"Legolas?" She whispered as she felt the presence of the elf close to her.

"Yes, milady."

"Please stop that. You are a friend, please just call me Ginny." She huffed.

"If you consider me your friend than I would be delighted to do so."

"You are." She sighed. "Why is Théoden giving me a horse to ride on while so many elderly people have to walk? I could ride with Aragorn." Legolas looked down at her, she saw hesitation in his eyes. It was like he wasn't sure if he should tell the truth. "Just tell me, Legolas."

"Alright, I am not totally sure but this is what I think. The road to Helm's Deep is very dangerous. We are venerable with such a large group of defenseless people, old and young. There will be a big chance that we will be attacked, Aragorn, Gimli and I will join the defense and step into battle. Théoden knows this. He is giving you a horse so that he can keep you out of battle. Just like he prevents Èowyn, a capable sword's woman to fight."

"Old fashioned ideas." She growled.

"Traditions and believes." He corrected. "Though I think you'll find the freedom refreshing. The king has no say over what you choose to do. You can steer the horse into battle if you choose so but I must warn you, as a friend. Your skills with a sword are not that good. It might be wise to stay out of the fight, for now at least."

"What about you three. How will I continue while you three are risking your life? Not knowing if you, Gimli or Aragorn will come back?" Ginny asked, suddenly she felt nervous and started to pluck her hair because of it. She didn't want to show her feelings for them, it was a weakness that could be abused. Yet, she had started to care and now she would try her hardest to hide it but Legolas smiled at her in a knowing way. She saw in his eyes that he was touched by her words.

"I have survived over two thousand years. Many of them in times of unrest, I don't plan on getting killed yet." He said with a wink. It made Ginny laugh and forget her worries for a second.

As he walked to his horse while she looked at him. He had a soft smile on his face and looked a little mischievous. Ginny realized that Legolas, though very old in her idea of age was still young at heart. Apparently he was physically over two thousand years but his soul was much younger.

"I like this side of you." She commented without thinking and blushing a little.

"I'll show you more of it when the time is right." He laughed and climbed up his horse.

It took her a few seconds to figure out how to get on the horse without help but she found out quickly that it wasn't much different than mounting a broom. Also the steering wasn't that different, if you leaned to the right the horse would go right. She only needed help with how to sit properly and how to use the reins. Èowyn was very willing to help her.

Èowyn turned out to be a chatty woman with a serious need of girl time. Ginny could totally relate as back home she used to be the only girl around the house as well. As Èowyn taught her how to ride a horse they talked softly about the standards, expectation and traditions of a woman within the Rohan court and within Middle Earth. Ginny was happy to notice that Èowyn was well educated and strong minded. They bonded over sharing simple stories about their lives in Middle Earth. Which was a little short for Ginny but she could tell little things. Even little things about her life back in the wizarding world.

They also talked a little about the men Ginny was traveling with. She quickly realized that Èowyn had a huge crush on Aragorn. It was something she could relate too as her first four years at school had been one period of crushing on the boy-who-lived. Ginny felt for the woman, as she knew Aragorn wouldn't return those feelings. She had not seen one spark of attention for the woman in the man's eyes. Ginny suspected that the ranger had given his heart to somebody else already.

After half a day of learning how to ride at the back of the column, Ginny felt confident enough she could join her companions without risking the lives of the people on foot.

"Hey!" she said with a small smile as she pulled up next to Legolas and Aragorn, Gimli had given up on horses and was walking with Èowyn who had wanted a change from the saddle.

"I see you are getting better at horse riding." Aragorn commented.

"Yes, it's actually not that difficult once you get the hang of it." She said.

The men agreed and gave her a few more tips on how to make her life easier on the horse. She accepted their advice but adapted it to her own style, which was more like riding a broom. Merlin, how she missed flying.

As the riding continued in the afternoon she realized that she was actually enjoying herself. On a horse, with the free air around her and her companions calmly talking with her, Ginny could forget her sorrows for a while. Like the emotional storm inside her seemed to settle in her heart and head.

Once she noticed this she tried to analyze it. Maybe it was because she needed a purpose, something to work for. She had always done better with a goal in mind. Now that they were traveling and protecting the vulnerable people of Rohan she felt like she was actually doing something. Or maybe it was just the freedom she felt while riding a horse. She wasn't sure.

During that first afternoon she traveled up and down the column with Aragorn and Legolas. While they were talking with king Théoden about the trip ahead, she observed the people of Rohan. Ginny realized that most people were scared and poor. Also many were in poor health or old. They were moving slow, maybe too slow.

' _Their worries had been right, they would be most vulnerable during the trip to the fortress'_ , she thought. While they were moving this slowly, they were a very easy target. Yet she couldn't think of a better way to handle the threat. Staying in Edoras hadn't been a good option; the town was easily surrounded and burned to the ground. You needed many more men to defend it.

Going through other strategies Ginny realized that Gandalf's plan had been a good one if they had more information on the enemy. However she still felt that going almost blind into a battle would not have done them any good.

But now, as they rode over the open plains of Rohan she realized that this plan was equally flawed. With so many people it was just so very dangerous to travel so openly. She turned to her companions to ask them how long they would travel until they reached the fortress when she noticed Théoden had joined them. He and Aragorn were talking about something and she didn't want to interrupt. Èowyn was leading the horse that was carrying Gimli. Legolas was nowhere in sight. She urged her horse to move up next to Gimli as she listened to his story.

"It's true you don't see many Dwarf women. And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance, that they're often mistaken for Dwarf Men." He said loudly, making sure everybody would hear him. He made Èowyn smile.

Ginny noticed the woman looked over her shoulder at Aragorn and her uncle. Ginny followed her gaze to see Aragorn smiling at them.

"It's the beards." He told them. Ginny couldn't help but chuckle at the image that was forming in her mind.

"And this, in turn, has given rise to the belief that there are no Dwarf women, and that Dwarves just spring out of holes in the ground..." Gimli shouted with a loud laugh, finishing his story. "Which is of course ridiculous."

Ginny and Èowyn both laughed loudly at the dwarf's incredulous look. The horse probably spooked by their laughter or Gimli's loud voice reared and threw Gimli of its back. Èowyn wasn't able to hold the reins and the horse spurted off.

Ginny didn't think but just acted. She spurred on her horse and went after the stray. She was surprised by how confident she had gotten in just one day with handling her horse. She caught up with the run-away just when one of the guards caught him.

"This is Prince Legolas's horse." The guard commented.

"Yes. Gimli fell off." Ginny said as she stopped next to them. "Shall I take him back?"

"Can you handle two horses, milady?" the guard asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I think I can." Ginny nodded. She took the horse and without difficulty brought it back to Èowyn.

Until the sun started to set she rode with Aragorn and Gimli. It was only shortly before they stopped that Legolas joined them again. He had been scouting the camping area to see if it was safe.

"How are you feeling, milady?" Aragorn asked as he sat down next to Ginny.

"Pretty good, actually." She said with a smile.

"Not sore?" Aragorn asked surprised.

"Numbing charms can do miracles." Ginny smiled. "Though I'll be sore in the morning, I'm sure."

"You looked happier today." He said. It sounded as a normal comment but it meant a lot to her. He cared enough to notice that she felt slightly better.

"I feel a bit better." She admitted.

"May I ask why?"

Ginny shrugged and settled a bit more against her backpack that was functioning as a pillow.

"I don't really know." She started. "Legolas says you all understand what I am going through so maybe you know better than me but… it's… it's like the emotional storm has calmed down a bit. Maybe it was the funeral or maybe it's because with learning horse riding and sword fighting I am more focused on other things."

"We do understand, Ginevra. Dealing with such a personal losses isn't easy nor does it have a set pattern. Every time it's different, every day is different. You'll have good days and bad days. Today was a good day for dealing with grief."

Ginny nodded before glaring at Aragorn. "Aragorn, how many times do I have to ask you to call me Ginny? I really hate my full name, you know?"

"I'm raised by elves. They teach you always to address a lady properly. It's good manners." He said.

"But isn't it bad mannered to go against a lady's wishes?" She asked sternly. She could see Aragorn hadn't thought like that before. His eyes widened in shock.

"It is." He murmured. "I'm sorry." He said solemnly.

"Nah, don't be. Just be a good friend and call me Ginny."

Their conversation was interrupted by Èowyn. She was bringing them some food but Gimli, who she offered some first to, declined. To Ginny this was a clear warning. The dwarf ate normally so much that if he declined something it would have to be really bad. Quickly she pulled out an apple, which she had packed earlier that morning.

"I made some stew. It isn't much, but it's hot." Èowyn said to them.

"No thank you, milady. I have some food already, I'd rather my portion go to the ones that need it." Ginny quickly answered. Behind Èowyn she noticed that Legolas winked at her and smiled slightly at him. Aragorn wasn't as fortunate.

"Thank you." He said politely. The others all watched him as he took his first bite. Aragorn's face was so funny that Ginny had to fight hard not to laugh. She would insult Èowyn if she did laugh. To prevent that from happening she got up and walked towards Legolas. His face was full of laughter as he watched Aragorn with the lady of Rohan.

Brave as he was Aragorn swallowed the meat and smiled at Èowyn. "It's good."

It made Èowyn smile, "Really?"

Ginny couldn't help but chuckle as Aragorn tried to smile convincingly. As soon as Èowyn turned her back Aragorn tipped the bowl but the woman turned around again causing a slightly embarrassing scene for Aragorn.

Ginny looked at Èowyn wondering what had caused her to turn back to Aragorn. She recognized that look, the woman was curious about something.

"My uncle told me a strange thing. He said that you rode to war with Thengel, my grandfather. But he must be mistaken." Èowyn said. For Ginny this was new information and not a little bit weird as well. Aragorn didn't look much older than forty. For him to have to been able to ride with Èowyn's grandfather he had to be at least seventy or eighty. Ginny glanced up at Legolas for his reaction. Legolas smiled at her and nodded towards Aragorn.

"King Théoden has a good memory. He was only a small child at the time." Aragorn answered politely. Èowyn was clearly shocked but not as much as Ginny. Her jaw dropped to the floor and looked at Legolas again. He smiled and shrugged. Of course, Ginny knew age didn't matter much to an elf. He was over two thousand years old for Merlin's sake.

"Then you must be at least sixty?" Èowyn asked. Aragorn didn't answer. "Seventy?" Èowyn pressed. Aragorn seemed uncomfortable about it but Ginny was too curious to save her new friend from his position. "But you cannot be eighty!" Èowyn's voice was rising with each question.

"Eighty-seven." Aragorn murmured with a smile.

Ginny felt slightly light-headed. What kind of world was this, an elf that was over two thousand years old, a wizard who have died only to return and older than Nicolas Flamel and now a human, a man who claimed to be at least forty years older than he looked.

"You are one of the Dúnedain." Èowyn gasped as Ginny saw that she realized something that the witch couldn't. Aragorn nodded slightly, like he was ashamed to admit it. "A descendant of Númenor, blessed with long life. It was said that your race had passed into legend."

 _Now that makes a little sense_!

"There are few of us left. The Northern Kingdom was destroyed long ago." Aragorn said sadly.

"I'm sorry." Èowyn whispered. "Please eat."

Èowyn stayed with him. Ginny felt bad for Aragorn that she was making him eat that horrid stuff. It smelled bad even from where she was standing. Looking around she saw the two kids. Éothain and Freda were not far from them. They looked a bit lost.

"Lady Èowyn?"

"Yes, milady?"

"Do you still have some stew left?" Ginny asked.

"Of course, I made a lot." Èowyn said with a smile. "Do you want something?"

"No, thank you but the two little ones over there look really hungry. Perhaps you could spare them some." Ginny said as she pointed to the two small children. Èowyn looked to where she was pointing. Ginny gave her great credits that she didn't look angry or annoyed that Ginny was almost sending her away from Aragorn but the shield maiden just smiled and nodded.

When she was out of reach Aragorn sighed and was about to dump the bowl with food.

"Thank you." He sighed.

"No wait!" Ginny yelped and stopped Aragorn from throwing away the food. "I can make it taste better." She took the bowl from him and prodded it a few times with her wand. First she tried to make the meat better with a bit of transfiguration, it worked a bit. Second she targeted the few vegetables, they were the worst things. Magically she heated the stew again and made sure all the flavors grew a bit stronger.

"It smells nice." Aragorn said as she handed the bowl back.

"It's magic." Ginny smiled and sat down next to him with her feet towards the fire.

"It taste much better as well." Aragorn said with surprise. "Thank you."

"You are welcome."

They sat in silence as Aragorn ate his food. The sun was setting slowly and Ginny got time to think about the day. She had really enjoyed horse riding. It was something she needed to focus on and it was something she could do without magic. Horse riding didn't open any memory that she didn't want to revisit. During the afternoon Aragorn had shown her how to wield a sword on a horse. It made riding more difficult. While practicing she didn't have any time to think about something else. It was a good way to clear her mind.

"How long before we reach the fortress?" She asked in general.

"By tomorrow afternoon we will be there." Aragorn answered her.

So she had one more day of riding. One day to think and learn. She knew that before they reached the fortress she had to make a choice. Was she going to fight again? Was there a way not to? What could she do to help her friends? Would she use magic or fight only with a sword? She wondered how much time she would have to think before she had to make her choice.

"Once we are there… how long will it take until this battle starts?"

"We don't know." Aragorn said as he looked up from his dinner. "I'm sure Saruman will have more than one surprises for us. Let us hope that we get to Helm's Deep without any of them. To be honest I don't think we have to wait long. Gandalf was really urgent about finding Éomer, I think he knew that Saruman will attack soon."

"What kind of surprises you are talking about?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if the wolves of Isengard will try to attack the column while we are out in the open." Aragorn said grimly.

Ginny nodded and moved on to the main battle. "What about the battle at the fortress? What will that be like?"

"Bloody." Aragorn sighed before turning to her. "War is always bloody and horrible. Helm's Deep is build into the wall of a mountain. Once we are there and the enemy surrounds us there will be no way out. Every man, young or old, that is able to wield a sword will have to fight. The size of Saruman's army will determine our chances. Right now I'm not sure we will have a chance at all."

"What about the women and children?"

"They will be send into the caves. There is a large cave system behind the castle. Its entrance is easily defendable."

Ginny nodded and tried to imagine it. It was hard to imagine a battle against an unknown enemy. They told her what Orcs looked like but they were still hard to imagine. It was even more difficult to imagine herself fighting against them.

"What about me?" She asked a little hesitant.

"You'll have a choice. I'm sure with your magic you'll be able to fight. Saruman won't be there, he is too big of coward to show up, so you don't have to worry about a magical battle. However your swords skills aren't good enough yet to really have a chance against these Uruk-hai. I advise you to stay hidden, use only your magic to aid the battle but not become a part of it, or join the women in the caves. I'm sure you could do without an other battle."

This gave Ginny something to think about. Deep in her heart she had already decided to fight but it was good to have options. For once she felt like she could decide to let others deal with battles and wayward wizards. For once she could say 'no'.

"I don't know what I want to do." She sighed.

"Nobody expects you to fight, lass." Gimli joined in. "You don't owe this world anything. You can let others deal with war."

"I'm a part of this world now, Gimli. I can't go back and to be honest I'm not even sure if I want to go back. I have nothing to return too anyway." Ginny explained.

"Still, nobody expects you to fight. We all understand if you have seen enough of battles and war."

"I know." She sighed and got up. "I just don't know what to do. Back home I didn't have a choice. It was either fight or die. Being a girl didn't matter much. As long as you were magical and had chosen sides you needed to fight."

"Why did you choose a side?" Gimli asked.

"I didn't, my parents did it long before I was born. Besides I fell in love with the leader of the good side. With the one that was prophesized to defeat the dark side or die trying. I never had a choice. I only had love."

Both men nodded. It appeared they understood what she was saying.

"I'm going for a walk. I need to think." She sighed.

She got up with a smile and walked away from the men. Ginny felt their eyes on her back but she needed to think and generally that would go better when she was moving. She decided to make a patrol round around the camp. She could defend herself with her wand, would anything happen.

After just a few minutes of being alone her head was full of all the different thoughts and images. It was chaotic and noisy. It felt like the storm was brewing again, turning her normally organized mind into the site of a bomb explosion.

 _Shut up_! She yelled inside her head, hoping to silence the memories and random thoughts that were running around like crazy. _I'm finally going insane. I always knew I would with everything that happened but now it is final_.

It was like a wrestling match with her heart that was going on inside her head. She just couldn't get a control over it and her pain, confusion and frustrations from her heart pulled at every thought she had. She needed to focus. She needed to figure out how she felt about the coming battle, what she wanted to do and how she was going to move forward.

 _What do I want?_ She asked herself. _I want Harry back_! It was the first thing that popped up in her mind. She immediately dismissed it. That was unobtainable. She could never ever have Harry back. Even if there was a way to make him alive again, she couldn't go back. She couldn't go back home. She was stuck here in Middle-Earth and she had to learn to live with that. _Or die_!

That would get her back in Harry's arms. _But he would be so angry_. She sighed. _You don't know that, maybe he is missing you just as much_. A voice in her head told her. _Just die and be with him._ It continued. The voice was small and really alluring, like Tom had been in the diary.

She growled loudly. She would not submit herself to that again! She was stronger than that!

Taking more angry steps she came upon a group of woman. They were making sure their children were in their sleeping bags. They all seemed scared and twitchy.

"Mommy? Will we die?" Ginny heard one of the kids ask. It made her pause.

"No honey. The men will protect us."

"But they will have to fight the wizard." The small girl cried. "What if daddy dies like the prince?"

Ginny felt tears well up in her eyes as she watched the woman helplessly trying to calm her sobbing child.

She hadn't really thought about the turncoat wizard. Aragorn had been pretty sure that Saruman was too big of a coward to be there during the battle.

 _But what if he was there? What if Aragorn was wrong?_

The people of Rohan wouldn't stand a chance. The white wizard was the most powerful wizard in Middle Earth. She wasn't even sure she could do anything against him. Not too long ago she had fought some of the most powerful in her world, though she had won the battle it was paid with the lives of many powerful wizards and witches. Many who had been more powerful than she.

She remembered the moments her courage almost failed during that battle. There were many but she had always drawn on her inner Gryffindor to continue. As long as Harry lived she had fought for their future. That had been her motivation. A real Gryffindor didn't give up. Not even when it was shear madness to continue.

Yet, in this new world would she be able to do the same? Would she have courage enough to stand up against the most powerful when she didn't fight for love?

She looked at the child again. A young girl with dirty blond hair. She looked so scared. Her eyes wide with fear and darting around like an enemy could attack them any minute. Though Ginny knew that was entirely possible she felt for the child. No child so young should live in fear of death.

It was in that moment that she made her decision. She would fight. It was not for herself or for her new friends. She would fight for these people, the little children because they deserved freedom. They deserved to grow up on a world free of war and darkness. The young child deserved a chance to grow up happily and carelessly. _Besides, it's only one wizard_!

Determined she walked up to the group and kneeled down next to the mother and her child. She hadn't failed to notice that the adults around her looked at her with great fear but she pushed it away for later analysis. The mother of the girl looked at Ginny with fear and hesitance as well but Ginny tried to sooth it by giving a friendly smile.

"You should not be afraid, little one." Ginny said as she brush the little girl's hair out his face. The girl looked up in surprise but didn't show fear for her.

"But the wizard, he'll kill everybody just like the prince."

"Of course not." Ginny said seriously, "And do you know why?" the little girl shook her head. "Because I'm a witch and I'll do my best to protect you all." The women around winched or gasped as she said she was a witch. They were really scared of her but she didn't know why. So far she had not shown her magic in an aggressive or open way. Perhaps it was magic in general that had them scared.

"Really?" The girl asked. Ginny nodded with a confident smile.

"Shall I show you?" She asked her and the child nodded enthusiastically. Ginny pulled her wand out of its holster and made a bit of a show of her wand movements before releasing three red sparks. The child laughed loudly and clapped.

"See?" Ginny said as she put her wand back up her sleeve. The child nodded happily again. "Good, you have nothing to fear, just sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day, you'll need your energy."

As on cue the child yawned and nodded.

Ginny got up and smiled at the mother before walking away. As soon as she was a few steps away from the adults Ginny heard the women whisper about her. They didn't sound that angry or negative but more shocked and unsure.

As she walked on she saw more people whispering about her. To her surprise she found that she didn't care. They whispered about Gimli and Legolas as well, she had heard it during the day. She just wondered why people seem to fear them. Was it her magic? Was it because Legolas was an elf? Or Gimli, being a dwarf? She didn't think so. They didn't fear Gandalf that much. He was their hero, sort off. _But he had the chance to prove himself_! She concluded.

Maybe that was the difference. They knew Gandalf. They didn't know her, Gimli or Legolas. They didn't know for whom they fought. They didn't know that she would fight for them. For all the people of Rohan knew they could turn on them easily. They probably had seen it happen too many times. They still had to prove themselves to Rohan.

She knew that she would have a harder time to prove herself to these people than Legolas and Gimli. She was a woman after all. And the people would soon know the terrible power she could wield. They would distrust her even worse than the elf or the dwarf.

She continued her round around the camp thinking over the result of her decision. Harry would be proud if he knew that she was fighting for freedom again. Especially when it was a selfless act of defending the defenseless. He had always been the one to encourage her to learn how to fight and defend. He saw strength in her even when others couldn't see it.

It was after the sun had fully set when she returned to the three men at their campfire. Aragorn was half awake, his eyes far away. The loud snoring told her that Gimli was already fast asleep. Legolas was sitting against a fallen tree looking at her.

"We were worried about you." He said as she sat down next to him and picked up a bit of bread. "You left in a hurry."

"You shouldn't worry about me. I'm a big girl, I can defend myself."

Legolas smiled friendly at her and nodded.

"I do believe that. We were just worried about the reason you left."

"You guys gave me lots to think about." Ginny shrugged. "I tend to think better while I'm walking."

Legolas nodded and handed her a goblet of wine. She didn't really like wine but she was thirsty and didn't complain.

"I have made a decision." Ginny told him. He just looked at her and nodded for her to continue. "I'm fighting with you all." She said. Her voice made it clear that there was no discussing the point.

"May I ask why?" Legolas said. He looked shocked but not disapproving.

"I just can't stand back and watch innocent people die. I have never been able to do that. I have always been a fighter. I have skills you all need."

"That you have." He agreed. "I will be honored to fight next to one of the Istari."

"Thank you." Ginny said with a smile.

"I just ask you to be careful. As a friend I hope you will do your best to stay safe." He said softly.

"I'll demand the same thing from you, Aragorn and Gimli." She answered. It made Legolas laugh softly. He nodded at her.

"You look happier now you have made a decision." He commented.

"I don't know if I'm happier." Ginny shrugged. "I just feel a bit better now I have something to do again. I can focus on something else for a while."


	14. Warg Riders

**AN:**

 _Italic: Thought_

 **Bold: Elvish**

 _ **Italic and Bold: Thoughts in Elfish**_

 ** _Don't forget to review!_**

* * *

 **14\. Warg riders.**

The next morning Ginny was woken not by her own cries or screams but by a soft shake from Aragorn's hand. She was utterly surprised that she had slept without nightmares. Especially with the reality of another battle coming up she would have expected het mind to totally make her sleep misery. Instead now, she felt rested, alert and relaxed.

"Good morning." She said still a bit sleepy as she sat up.

She looked around her to see that Legolas and Gimli were gone. Aragorn was already packing.

"I overslept." She groaned.

"No, milady. Look, the others are just starting to wake up. Legolas, Gimli and I are just used to getting up with the sun." Aragorn said calmly as he gave her an apple.

"Why didn't you wake me up when you all got up?" She asked.

"Legolas told me that you were sleeping without nightmares for the first time since we met you. As you need your strength the coming days I thought it was better to let you rest a bit more." Aragorn explained. When he was done packing he sat down next to her. "Legolas told me about that you want to fight with us at Helm's Deep."

"Yes, I think I can make myself very useful there." Ginny said calmly. She had expected the men to be against it. It was clear that in this world women were still seen as not capable to fight.

"While I think that is true, I'm worried." He told her. His eyes did show that he was worried but she doubted that all those worries were for her. "Do you really think it is wise to get involved in a war again? You are still in so much pain from your last battle. I'm worried what another battle will do to you."

Ginny looked at him, his words were true and heartfelt. She was really touched by his concern for her.

"I have lost everything not more than a week ago. It hurts like crazy. I can't even breathe without feeling the hole in my heart but I can't sit back and watch innocent people die any more than you can. If I can make sure that those kids survive, I will."

"That's a very honorable idea, Ginny but what about you?" he pressed, noticing she had tried to avoid getting to close to her.

"I don't know. Nothing I'll see here on a battlefield can be more horrible than what I have seen back home. There is nothing worse than seeing the death eyes of your mother staring up at you. So you don't have to worry about my innocent eyes." Ginny chuckled, earning herself a glare from Aragorn. She shrugged with a sigh. "Aragorn, I don't know yet. Maybe it is possible for me to be happy again, here in this strange world. Maybe I'll die and be happy returning to the ones I love. Right now I have two options, fight or stand back and watch others die. I can't do the later, so I'll fight."

Aragorn nodded and took her hand in his and squeezed it.

"I know what it means to loose everything. I don't have close family left and the one I truly love will leave for lands I cannot. You should know that I think you are strong and that your loved ones would be really proud of you. You are fighting through the heartache and you are doing really well." He said. Before she could say thanks or glare at him he got up and took up his sword. He turned around and looked at her. "Please try to keep the fighting to your magic. I'm not sure if your sword's skills are good enough already."

Ginny gasped and looked at him in mock insult but she didn't fail to notice his playful smirk. He was teasing her but she knew he was right anyway. Still, she itched to send a tickling curse his way but didn't act on it as people around them started to move again.

Later that morning she rode next to Théoden. Aragorn, Gimli and Èowyn were walking next to them. Legolas had gone off to scout the area from the top of the hills that were in front of them.

Everybody was talking to each other and to Ginny it started to feel more like a holiday than a flee from dangerous enemies. So she stayed alert. Constant Vigilance! Her eyes always wandered over the group, the column and to Legolas. Searching for signs of dangers. It was an ingrained habit, a leftover from her last Hogwarts year.

Suddenly there was somebody screaming and Ginny saw Legolas running towards the sound. She looked over to where he was going and saw a horrible big wolf-like creature attacking a rider. Legolas killed the wolf with one arrow but around her chaos erupted. Ginny wasn't sure what to do but considered staying next to the King a good idea.

"A scout!" she heard Legolas yell to Aragorn. Without a second thought Aragorn turned back to the column and ran towards his horse.

"What is it? What do you see?" Théoden asked as the man approached them.

"Warg! We are under attack!" he screamed back.

Panic erupted around them. People started to scream and the fleeing instinct kicked in. Ginny watched as Aragorn jumped on his horse and rode off. He was heading towards Legolas.

"All riders to the head of the column!" Théoden yelled to his troops.

As she watched Ginny noticed a large group of these Wargs racing towards them. The only person between them and these beasts was Legolas. He continued shooting arrows and hitting target. His aim was impressive.

"You must lead the people to Helm's Deep, and make haste." She heard next to her. For a second she thought the king was talking to her but Èowyn was standing between her and the king.

"I can fight!" the woman argued.

"No!" Théoden almost growled. "You must do this...for me."

"I'll help you, Èowyn." Ginny offered. She hadn't thought about it really. She was considering following Théoden and Aragorn but with all the men gone that would leave the really innocent unprotected.

Reluctantly Èowyn nodded and Théoden rode off. For a second both women watch the men ride towards the Wargs. Ginny silently prayed for their lives before turning to Èowyn.

"You take up the front, you know the way, alright?" She asked. "I take the back and protect the people from any stray Wargs."

Èowyn nodded, clearly she was not pleased that she wasn't allowed to fight with the men but if things would go badly they were the only ones left to protect the people.

"Èowyn!" she called after her and the woman turned around. Ginny stopped her horse next to the woman and smiled softly. "We will get our chance to fight, maybe not this fight but there will be more. If things go bad with the men, we will be the only ones left to defend your people."

This made Èowyn look at her with wide eyes and a smile appeared on her face.

"You are right." Lady Ginevra. "Let's get the people to safety."

Ginny nodded and rode off towards the last of the people. Leaving Èowyn to organize the evacuation. Together they led the people away from the loud ongoing battle behind them. Ginny swore she could hear Gimli laughing. At least somebody was happy fighting.

After an hour or so, when the noises had long died away, the people became less scared. The immediate panic had disappeared and everybody hurried to get to the fortress. Now only the soft noise of carts and people talking were heard.

The silence and peace made Ginny nervous and on edge. She kept riding in circles, her wand out and often galloping to scout the area. It felt like the silence before the storm. Even in her toes she could feel the danger coming closer but it wasn't insight.

She had just returned to her post at the end of the column when she heard what she had dreaded. The soft growls of a large dog and the wheezy breathing of a strange creature sounded in the vicinity. She turned around to see that one of the Wargs had indeed escaped from the main attack.

The monster on top of it Ginny concluded was an Orc. It was one of the most horrible humanoid creatures she had ever seen. Even Goblins in her world were prettier than these things.

Behind her children started to wail and she heard people making a run for it and shout in panic. She watched the enemy closely as she listened to Èowyn shouting orders for everybody to make haste towards the fortress. Apparently it wasn't much further.

At the same time the warg noticed them, Ginny saw two young children straying from the column. The Warg immediately moved to attack one of the children. Ginny made her horse step aside to shield the child and glared at the laughing Orc. With her wand pointed at the beast she realized that she could go for the easy kill. Both Orc and Warg weren't covered in complete armor and there was no risk of spells and curses rebounding off the metal.

"You won't stop me, woman!" the Orc hissed.

"Try me." Ginny sneered. It wasn't even hard to imagine killing a creature like this. She had already developed hatred towards it. If it hadn't been because of the horrid stories Legolas had told her about them than out would be by the diminishing and leering way he talked to her or the dark evil feeling that seem to come from it.

The Orc sneered back and turned the full focus of the warg towards her. She raised her wand in a dueling position and prayed to Merlin that the flashes of light wouldn't spook the horse. The Orc didn't need it to be told twice and urged the warg to attack.

"Perstrepo" Ginny shouted as she brought down her wand. The strong blasting curse hit the wolf like creature right in the flank and the animal was blasted at least twenty feet backwards, landing on top of his rider.

The horse wasn't spooked by the curse but bristled as if it wasn't too happy not to participate in the fighting. Still without any fuss he brought Ginny closer to the whining dog as it exhaled it's last breath. With his lower body trapped by the Warg the Orc couldn't do much to her. Yet, she knew she had to kill it for her own safety. He had seen her do magic and could betray her to his master.

She looked at the horrid creature from her horse. Could she do it?

 _It's an unforgivable curse_! Something inside her argued. _Yeah, back home. Not here, here it is kill or being killed. You would have done it with a sword. The killing curse is kinder._ The next voice argued. Ginny couldn't help but agree with the later.

She raised her wand again and closed her eyes for a second. Knowing how to accomplish the curse she brought up her hatred for Tom Riddle. The boy that invaded her mind, tortured her and was the cause of her current pain. She hated him intensely enough.

Her eyes snapped open and even the Orc flinched as he saw the hatred in her eyes.

"Avada Kedavra!" She spoke and with a gut wrenching flash of green light the Orc was killed.

Not being able to watch what her wand had done but knowing it had hit its target she turned her horse around and made it back to the column. She used the time to regain her footing and settle. Using such a powerful curse did things to her body and her core that needed to be controlled before getting close to the others. The way the Orc had flinched indicated that the look she had in her eyes wasn't very comforting. She didn't want to make the people more scared than they already were.

She caught up with the column quite quickly and noticed that they had calmed down but moving at a quicker pace. She gave a wave to Èowyn to let her know that she was okay and taking up the defensive position again.

For the rest of the way she tried hard to ignore the whispers. People were in awe of her and scared of her at the same time. A few of them had seen what she could do with a flick of her wrist and the word had spread through the column quickly. People whispered about 'the witch' and the dangerous things she could do.

For the bigger part of the ride Ginny hated herself. Once the rush of the magic had settled she realized that she had killed by using the killing curse. Yes she had killed during the battle and she knew this was no different but this was the first time she had done it consciously. It the first time she had ever used the killing curse and that was making it very different. It made her feel sick. She had sunk almost as low as the next Death Eater. The only difference that made her feel a bit better was that she had done in it an act of protecting herself and the people of Rohan. It hadn't been mindless murdering for fun.

"Are you alright milady?" Someone next to asked her. She looked down to see a young boy, not older than twelve looking up at her. He didn't look scared of her. "You look sick."

"I will be alright." She said to him, knowing it was the truth. Eventually this would also be only a bad memory.

"Do you need help, milady?" He asked kindly.

"No thank you. I'll be alright."

"Okay. I wanted to thank you for saving my little brother." The boy said. Ginny looked down at him again and stopped her horse. She got off so she could walk next to the boy.

"Was he the little child that the Warg aimed for?"

"Yes, Hameth." The boy nodded. "You saved him, milady. You saved a lot of people with your magic."

"It scared a lot of people as well." Ginny muttered.

"Don't let that bother you, milady. The warg would have attacked everybody. It's just that the adults had not seen much good coming from magic, since the White wizard betrayed us. We all have real reasons to be distrusting of magic." The boy said smartly. He sounded a lot older than he was.

"You don't seem scared of it." Ginny commented. "Or scared of me."

"You are a friend of the king. He even gifted you with a horse from his stables. We must trust the king to make trustworthy friends. And you saved my brother. Besides I do not believe I should fear such a fair lady, not even if she is an Istar." He said with a blush. Ginny laughed out loud and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm really flattered that you think that." She said to the boy in all honesty. "Though you must remember that the most fairest are usually the most dangerous. You can't judge on looks alone." The boy looked thoughtful of a second and nodded. Still he didn't seemed to fear her, he just walked next to her with a confident sway. It seemed like she had gained a new friend. "What is your name?"

"I'm Haleth, son of Háma, milady." He said.

"Háma? Isn't that one of the King's personal escorts?"

"Yes, my dad serves the king. He is really brave but I fear he has died. He was the scout the Warg attacked." He said sadly. Ginny was struck by his sadness. She felt sorry for him but knew that he shouldn't loose hope yet.

"Don't loose hope, Haleth, son of Háma. Your dad might still survive."

"Do you think so?"

"I have seen people escape death many times." She answered.

A sudden call from the front of the column interrupted their conversation.

"Helm's Deep!" somebody called. Ginny looked up to see a massive fortress. It was cut out from the mountainside. She finally understood why Théoden had decided to take refuge here. It was easily defendable, it's massive wall protecting the people inside.

"I should go to my mother." Haleth said and with a small bow he left Ginny's side.

While the people of Rohan entered the fortress, Ginny kept watch outside. Her horse paced in slow round as she made sure all the people got safely inside the walls of the fortress. Half an hour later she entered the fortress. Èowyn was walking next to her. The woman was unusually silent.

"They will return, Èowyn." She said. Ginny too worried about her friends but she trusted their abilities.

"That Warg slipped past them, how do we know that they are still alive?" Èowyn sounded desperate.

"We have to trust them. My gut tells me they will return, we have to keep faith." Ginny said. "But we should prepare for the wounded."

Èowyn looked at her like she desperately wanted to believe her. For a second she showed weakness as a tear of fear left her eyes. Ginny placed her hand on the woman's shoulder and squeezed it softly as a sign of support. Èowyn smiled at her and nodded.

"Yes." She sighed. "Yes, your are right. I need to be strong and have faith." Ginny saw the strong woman, the shield maiden return. Her back straightened and she stood taller. "Do you think you can help the wounded with your magic?"

"I think I can, as long as they trust me." Ginny answered. She remembered all the healing spells she had learned over the last year. Not out of interest but pure necessity as the Carrow's hadn't been kind in their punishments. The spells she knew would heal cuts, broken bones and deep wounds.

"They will trust you, Lady Ginevra. Don't worry about that. Come on I'll show you the infirmary and introduce you to our healers."

Èowyn showed her a large room just off the king's quarters that functioned as an infirmary. The supplies were few and the room was damp and dark. Ginny wondered how many people would really recover here. It wasn't the healthiest of places. No crisp and clean sheets like at Hogwarts and no fresh air to heal.

Two young women met them at the door. Both introduced themselves as healers in training. Yet their teacher hadn't arrived in Helm's Deep yet. An older man introduced himself as a scholar with extensive medical knowledge.

Èowyn took a short time to explain to them who Ginny was and that her magic could be of great assistance if they let her. Happy to receive a helping hand they all agreed and the old man immediately started to shoot questions at her about her knowledge of healing.

After a short discussion about medical knowledge and the possible injuries that would be coming in Èowyn left them to organize food and water for the coming battle and the refugees. She ordered the healers and scholar to listen to Ginny's orders until she or the king would change those orders.

Immediately after Èowyn had left Ginny told the other's to prepare bandages, salves, herbs and boiled water for the wounded from the Warg attack. While they did that she went through the room like a tornado. Shooting cleaning charm after cleaning charm. After that she opened the windows and let fresh air into the room. By the time she was done it resembled more the Hogwarts infirmary than a dank room.

The wounded arrived rather quickly, indicating that the battle had been short but intense. Ginny had just finished her cleaning spree of the room when they carried the first man in. Many of the wounded were unconscious and covered in deep cuts, bleeding like crazy. Immediately she set to work, starting by the most severely wounded. Though, she had to perform some kind of triage. There were just a few that couldn't be saved. It was painful to admit but by letting two of the most severely wounded go she created time to heal many more.

Ginny worked nonstop to heal all the wounds. She didn't even have time to worry about her companions. She hadn't seen any of them yet but she couldn't linger on it. It was both a relief and a worry that they weren't amongst the wounded. Her magic worked miracles and the other healers were in awe. They watched skin knit itself together in front of their eyes as Ginny muttered the incantations like a soft song.

Deep down Ginny knew that many men wouldn't make it because of the amount of blood they has lost and the fever that would surely take them soon. _If only I had my potions book here so I could make the needed potions for them_. She mused as she healed one of the less wounded.

On the next cot was a man she knew.

"Háma." She breathed. "Oh Merlin."

The wounds the man had were large, punctures and cuts ran deep, pieces of flesh were ripped loose. He was as pale as a corpse. She felt for a pulse to confirm he was still alive. It was weak an irregular.

Next to her one of the women gasped. Ginny looked up to see the youngest of the healers in training, Eloneth, looking at the wounded royal guard. She looked like she was going to be sick.

"You can leave if you want to." Ginny offered the woman kindly.

"No, I'll assist. It's just, so much blood."

"You better get used to it quickly. I fear you'll have a lot more patients soon."

The woman nodded and sat down on the other side of the cot.

"Can you heal him?"

"I can try." Ginny shrugged. Knowing that without a blood replenishing potions she wouldn't have much success. "Héman!" she called for the elder scholar.

"Yes, milady."

"Do you know of any potion or drink to restore the amount blood in a body?" She asked. For a second the old man looked thoughtfully.

"No milady. I know the elves have an extensive knowledge of potions and healing herbs but I do not."

"Do you think there is an book on those healing herbs available in this fortress?"

"No, milady. There are not many books in the fortress. Most of them were destroyed during battles. Besides, there are not many here who can read."

Disappointed Ginny set to work. Together with Eloneth she removed Háma's clothes and cleaned his wounds. She tried healing the deepest wounds first. She wasn't as successful as she hoped. Her skills just weren't good enough. After that she moved to heal his broken bones, two had penetrated the skin and Ginny really worried about infections. Healing bones wasn't easy but at least that spell came easily to her.

She worked not stop for hours, Héman and Eloneth had already left to eat something but Ginny continued, hoping to save the father of her new friend.

"Father?" she suddenly heard behind her. She jumped a bit and turned around to see Haleth standing a few feet behind her. "Is my father alright, milady?"

Ginny didn't answer immediately as she noticed Legolas standing at the other side of the room looking at her. It struck her that even though he looked worried he was stunningly beautiful. Even in the shadows of the room he seemed to glow. She gave him a tired smile before turning to the boy.

"I hope so. I have done all I could. Now you have to pray that his body is strong enough to fight off infections and overcome the blood loss."

"Can you not do more?" the boy pressed harshly. Ginny didn't judge his rash words. The young boy was fighting his tears. She held out her hand to him and when he took it she pulled him in a motherly hug. Just like she wished her mother could have done when her father was killed. Her eyes flashed to Legolas again, he smiled at her and nodded. He just knew what she was thinking.

"I wish I could do more. If I had access to certain books I might be able too but I cannot obtain the books I need. You just have to pray and be strong."

The boy nodded against her shoulder and sighed. He stepped away from her and looked at his dad for a while. Ginny continued muttering healing spells over Háma's body, trying to give his body relieve from the pain.

After a while Haleth left the infirmary and Ginny looked up to see Legolas walking towards her. She let her eyes roam over him to look for any injuries but couldn't find any. She noticed that his face was grim and his eyes weren't as bright as they normally were. Something was wrong she could feel it.

She knew as she met Legolas eyes that something was terribly wrong. Instead of pulling away and shielding herself from any additional hurt she did what she would do for any of her friends. She became more concerned for his well being than for her own.

"What happened?" She asked him. His face fell even more and Ginny saw pure sadness in his beautiful eyes.

"We lost Aragorn." He whispered. Ginny gasped and without thinking she threw her arms around him. She knew from Gandalf's story that Legolas and Aragorn had been long time friends. All she could think of was about how much it would hurt to loose such a close friends. Seeing the pain so clearly in his eyes made her want to hug the elf in comfort.

After a few seconds Legolas wrapped his arms around her and held her closely. It was than that she realized what his words meant. Aragorn had died. ' _No_ ' she thought in protest. ' _That can't be. No!'_ She refused to believe that Aragorn was truly lost. Something inside her refused to believe it.


	15. The gift

**AN: I know that some of my readers have been asking for a chapter like this and while I had this rewritten quite a while ago I love that some of you think similar to me. Enjoy!**

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 **15\. A gift from the Valar.**

After the initial shock of having Ginny's arms wrapped around him Legolas accepted her embrace and wrapped his arms around the small woman. He lowered his head a bit to lay it down on her hair and immediately was engulfed by the smell of flowers and leafs. Somehow she smelled like home. He relaxed a little and took in a deep calming breath. The loss of his friend weighed heavy on him and he welcomed the moment of relief.

"What happened?" Ginny asked after a few minutes. She pulled back and took his hands in hers. Her eyes met his and Legolas was overwhelmed by the compassion in them. She knew what he was feeling. She had lost many dear ones too and had no problem to recognize his pain. Ginny pulled him down to sit on the chair across from hers.

"I do not know for sure. He was not there after the battle. There was this Orc. He told about how Aragorn had fallen of a cliff. I did not want to believe him but he had this." Legolas opened his hand to show the young witch Arwen's pendant. "It was a gift from the only woman he ever loved. He would never take it off willingly."

"Did you see him after his fall?" Ginny asked.

"No, the river had washed him away already."

"Then we must not loose hope! The water could have broken his fall and saved him." said the woman in front of him with a strong voice. "You know this world is full of miracles. Look at Gandalf, he came back. I have seen miracles happening all around me. Let us hope that he will return."

Legolas thought she was crazy to suggest it. The cliff was too high for anyone to survive the fall. Even if the water would break the fall there was no way anyone could survive the strong current but he decided not to mention it. He wouldn't kill that little bit of hope she had.

Next to them the wounded soldier groaned softly and Ginny turned around to tend to him. Legolas watched in silence while her small hands worked miracles. Just like he had done before.

He had watched her from the door for already an hour before the child walked in. Silently as elves could be he had entered the infirmary when the others left. She hadn't even noticed him coming in. He was there to ask her to come and eat something but the things that she did with her small wooden stick had been mesmerizing. Her movements were quick and her spells were chanted like a song. He just had not been able to stop watching her.

As he watched the beautiful red headed Istar performing the most amazing magic he thought back about his journey after the fight with the Wargs. He had seen the dead Warg and Orc on their way to the fortress. The Warg had died of massive wounds. He looked like a boulder had slammed into its side. The Warg had probably crushed the orc's legs but the creature didn't show any other injuries severe enough to kill.

It was like he had just stopped living. Legolas immediately knew that it had been the work of the female Istar. It had been the use of magic that killed the Orc without any outer wounds. Magic more powerful and terrible than was known in Middle Earth.

His suspicions had been confirmed when he arrived in the fortress. He heard the whispers about his female companion. How she had killed the warg and Orc with just a word and a wrist movement. People were scared of her, yet they all knew she was working hard to save many wounded warriors.

Legolas expected that Ginny would have some emotional issues with killing the creature. She wasn't a ruthless murderer and killing something even as evil as an Orc would have an impact on her. He remembered the first time he had killed. It had been hard on him and his soul. It had taken some time to learn that killing sometimes was necessary or even preferred by the one dying.

However, the thought of Ginevra killing the Orc had him worried. He was afraid that her meeting with the warg would affect her mental stability even further. Legolas could easily imagine that seeing another living creature die would cause her to slip into the darkness that he knew was constantly threatening to take her.

When they had taken care of the horses both he and Gimli decided to look for Ginny to inform her about Aragorn. They had been looking for the young woman in the king's quarters without much success. When they found the shield maiden, Èowyn had told them that their companion was working in the infirmary.

Gimli decided he would be of more use to help Èowyn and leave Legolas to bring the bad news to the young Istar.

"It will be you who she will turn to for comfort, lad." The dwarf had said. "Not even I am that blind not to see it." And with that he had turned away to help Èowyn.

Once Legolas had found the infirmary he had first looked at her through the open window, watching her closely. It had been a happy surprise to see the young woman working like that. Of course she looked sad and very focused but at least she wasn't wallowing in darkness. There was still some light in her eyes.

"I saw the Warg and Orc." He said softly as Ginny turned back to him. She just nodded and looked down at her hands. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked kindly. He saw a tear form in her eyes. His heart ached for her pain and he couldn't resist comforting her. He raised his hand and brushed the offending tear from her face. "You can always talk to me or Gimli, about anything, you know that, right?"

He noticed that the woman leaned against his hand a bit, taking the comfort he was offering.

"I killed." Ginny whispered. "It wasn't the first time but it was the first time I killed a creature that was not able to immediately attack me. I didn't feel much emotion when I did it. Just the hatred that is needed to work the curse. Does that make me a cold hearted killed? I don't ever want to become a cold blooded killer." She admitted in the end.

Legolas looked at her as she spoke, realizing that even though she had seen more horrors than he could imagine and acted like an adult she was still really young and innocent. Her heart was still very pure. It was good to know that the evil and horror of murder and battle had left the core of who she was untouched.

"You will never be a cold killer, my friend. The fact that you care about it makes it so." Legolas told her as he brushed his thumb over her cheek. "It will get easier with time but you have to remember that if you don't kill them they will kill you and I would be really upset if you die on me too."

"Thank you, Legolas, that's really sweet of you to say." Ginny nodded. Her face lightened again and a soft comforting smile returned to her lips. Legolas answered her smile softly. She seemed to be taking things easily. Like she could shrug it off and leave it behind her but her eyes told a different story. It held fire and ice. When she was angry or passionate her dark brown eyes flamed with emotion. When she was depressed and willing to die they turned cold and dead. Right now she was willing to fight and kill but he wondered what it would cost her mentally?

"Come, I came here to remind you that you have to eat something." He told her. "Lady Èowyn said you hadn't left the infirmary since you came here."

"I have been working on Háma for hours." She defended herself.

"I saw, I had been standing next to that door for at least an hour."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't want to interrupt your incantations."  
"Oh, you can talk to me when I'm working. I can do the spells silently but speaking them out loud makes them more effective."

"Will he make it?" He asked as he pointed to the king's guard. He had known Háma from his last visit to Edoras with Aragorn. Háma had been a small boy back than but he had already been an ambitious fighter.

"I hope so. He has lost a lot of blood. I wish I had my potions book here." Ginny sighed. "What could you use that book for?" he asked.

"I could make potions to help them all recover more quickly. Fight off infections and all." He nodded but didn't ask more deeply into the subject. He knew they were both emotionally exhausted and weren't up for long conversations.

"Come, let's get you something to eat." Legolas said as he placed his arm around the woman's shoulders and steered her away towards the door. As he walked next to her he realized that this closeness wasn't really normal by any standard but Ginny didn't seem to mind it one bit.

Legolas knew that he would never be able to hold a woman of Middle Earth like this, not when she isn't bound to him but with Ginny it felt normal. Like it was the most normal thing to do. And as long as she didn't protested about it he would gladly do so.

Later after eating something and Ginny was sleeping soundly on a cot, Legolas sat outside on a stair. The cool air was wiping through his hair and clearing his mind. He thought about Ginevra.

He knew he really started to like the young woman. She was a trustworthy, loyal friend and somebody he could talk to for hours without getting bored. He also knew that he had yet to see her true self. He expected there was a real bubbly female side to her. A happy carefree side. He wondered if he would like that side of her as much as the one he saw now.

Besides that he had started to feel attracted to her physically. It wasn't really a hard thing to do. The woman was beautiful after all. However the closeness they had experienced today had brought that attraction back to the front of his mind. They had been so very close today and it had felt so right that it slightly scared him. He knew at some point he wouldn't be able or willing to hide that attraction from her and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. Right now, he knew she would react badly to any feelings besides friendship towards her.

"Where is the lass?" A grumpy voice behind him asked.

"Sleeping." Legolas answered. Gimli sat down next to him with a groan.

"Is she really planning on fighting?"

"Yes." Legolas answered calmly. Gimli didn't look too happy about it. "You saw the dead Warg and Orc. She did that. Probably with just the flick of her wrist."

"I know she will be capable, Aragorn and you would not have let her fight otherwise. I'm just wondering if it will be a good thing for her to fight."

"Are you worried about a female, Master Dwarf?" Legolas asked with a teasing jest. Gimli wasn't faced by it, he just grumbled and looked at Legolas.

"Like you aren't?" the dwarf said. "You should see yourself looking at her. Worrying about her. People would think you are in love with her."

Before Legolas could answer Gimli got up and walked away. He was even too shocked to hear the dwarf laugh.

Much later Ginny was staring at the ceiling again. As tired as she was sleep wouldn't come to her again. She had woken up after just an hour with her mind was full with thoughts. She thought about Harry, about what he would think if he saw her like this. Would he be proud? Or would he be sad like her? She also thought about her situation. The coming war. The wounded she just treated. About how she felt like she was failing them because she couldn't make potions she needed without aid of a book. _Hermione would know the ingredients by heart_.

With a deep sigh she closed her eyes and tried to relax. She turned to lay on her back and with a sigh opened her eyes again.

To her shock she didn't see the ceiling anymore, instead there was a sunny blue sky. She looked around and realized that she wasn't in her cot anymore. She was in a beautiful meadow. Around the meadow dark trees provided shade but she was sitting the sun. The sun was warm and it eased her muscles. She felt more relax than she had in a long time but tensed again when suddenly she sensed someone watching her.

Her eyes searched for the cause of that sensation. At the end of the meadow in the shadow of the trees stood a slim woman dressed in white. She seemed to glow like the sun.

"Welcome my child." She said, her voice sounded ethereal. It left Ginny speechless. "I'm Estë, one of the Valar."

Ginny slowly got up and walked towards the woman.

"I am so proud of you, Lady Ginevra, Red Istar." The woman continued. "Even though you suffer deeply you have decided to fight so that Middle Earth could be free again. Deep in your heart you know you can easily die during the fight with unfamiliar enemies but still you do it without hesitation. Even when everything reminds you of your pain. That sacrifice will not be overlooked." The woman stepped towards her and took Ginny's hands in hers. Ginny was slightly shaken when the touch of the woman took away all her heartache. It was like for the first time since the battle she was whole again.

"To repay you for every sacrifice you are making right now I am going to grant you one wish, my child, but even as one of the Valar I am limited in what I can do. I cannot bring back the dead your heart is hurting for. Nor am I able to bring you back to your world. The decision to bring you here was made by Eru and I cannot overrule that." Estë said with an apologizing smile. "Think hard about what you want from me because I am only allowed to grant you one wish."

Ginny sighed and shook her head. This was surreal. She was dreaming, she knew she was dreaming. While it was better than her nightmares it was still strange.

Yet, she found herself considering the offer of Estë. Many wishes raced through her mind. She wanted so much.

"Right now I wish for a lot of things, my deepest desire is to have Harry back, I want to be with him again. I miss him so much it hurts."

"I can't give you that." The woman said with a soft voice. "One day soon you'll be able to fight through the pain of his death. The time for mourning is only natural."

"I know." Ginny sighed. "When I think practically, I wish I had my books with me. Especially, my potions book or a book on healing charms. With the right potions I can save Háma's life and give Haleth back his father. Though, my potions book probably wouldn't be of much use in this world. I bet half of the ingredients couldn't be found here.

In my heart I wish for closure. Of course I want my family back but I realize that it is impossible. To be able to say goodbye to my family, Harry and Hermione would go a long way as well. I never got to tell them how much I love them and say a proper goodbye. My head wishes for an explanation, why did I end up in this strange world? What will happen? What is expected of me?"

The woman smiled at her kindly, Ginny was sure the woman understood her dilemma.

"You have to choose, I can't grant you all three." She said.

Ginny closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This was difficult. Her heart tore and bounced through her body wanting, no needing closure but her practical self was making a good case to ask for the books. She could save many lives with a little bit of help. Harry and her family were already dead. There was nothing that she could do about it. She would have to learn to live with it even if she did get a chance to say goodbye.

Making her decision she winched as pain ripped through her. Her heart wasn't too happy with her decision but her soul was.

"If you can give it to me, I would like to have my books on magic, especially my potions book. Preferably translated to this world so I can work with it here. I need to make blood-replenishing potion for the wounded men. They might have a chance with that."

The woman smiled and nodded. "You have chosen very wisely my dear. Closure only comes with acceptance, there is no other way to grant you that. As for your other wish, I won't tell you why you are here, you'll learn along the way."

The woman disappeared without giving her a goodbye or the books she wished for. Grumbled and angry she looked around. Perhaps the books were laying somewhere.

"Ginny?" A small voice suddenly sounded. It was a very familiar voice one that she always associated with books. She whipped around and stared right into doe brown eyes. The last time she saw them they were dead, staring lifelessly into the starry night.

"Hermione?" She gasped. Her knees felt weak and she stumbled towards her friend. "Is that really you?"

"I'm really here, Ginny." Hermione said. Ginny swayed a bit on her legs, overcome by emotions. "Oh, Ginny. I'm so sorry. We all are." She felt Hermione's arms wrap around her. They felt real, warm and just like they had when she was alive.

"You died." Ginny whispered.

"And I'm sorry for that." Hermione said calmly. "They all asked me to tell you that they are sorry. Especially Harry, he says he hates that he has broken his promise to you."

Ginny chuckled in hysteria. This was insane. Just a crazy dream.

"But Harry said I should remind you of the promise you made to him."

Like a switch had been turned, anger surged through her as she remembered that night when they made empty promises again.

"He broke his, why should I keep mine." She spat.

"Because we all want you to be happy. You have been given a new chance, a new set of friends in a new exciting world. Please, try to keep that promise. Don't make our sacrifice useless. This is what we fought for. A chance to live happily and free of darkness. Though, it's a little off with you in a different world but still we all fought hard so that the rest of us could be happy. Live for us."

Ginny sighed, Hermione knew her better than her own mother. Her shoulders slumped. "You know I will." She muttered.

"Good, I can't stay long, I'm here with a gift for you." Hermione said. Ginny looked up and saw that Hermione held out a book. One she had never seen before. "It's a collection of the most important wisdom from our world. A book of secrets and knowledge of magic. It holds everything you might need just as you asked from Estë."

Ginny took the book and ruffled through its pages. She saw hundredths of different topics. From potions to wards, to offensive hexes and curses.

"This is brilliant." She breathed.

"Yeah, I wished I had one in school." Hermione agreed. "You can shrink it and carry it in your pocket."

"Thank you."

"Go and save as many as you can with this knowledge. Go and be happy. We all love you."

Ginny sat up with a jolt. Hermione's last words echoing in her head. Sadness overwhelmed her as she realized she just said farewell to her best friend. Even though it was just a dream it felt final. It felt like it had given some sort of closure. She cried as she wished it had been real.

There was a soft knock on her door and it opened slightly.

"Lady Ginevra?" Èowyn asked. She opened the door further and rushed in when she noticed Ginny's distress. "What is it, milady?" the shield maiden asked as she knelt in front of her.

"It's nothing. Just a dream?"

"Did you have a nightmare?"

"No, it was a very good dream. I wish it had been real." Ginny told her, already whipping away the tears. "Did you need me for something?"

"Yes, Héman is asking for your assistance." Èowyn said.

"Alright, I can't sleep anymore anyway. I'm coming."

As Ginny moved to get up something fell of her bed. Èowyn reached to pick it up. It was that book! The book Hermione had given her in her dream. Ginny gasped and swayed a bit. _It had been real_?

"Is this book yours?" Èowyn asked.

"Yes." Ginny muttered, she took the book from Èowyn and opened it. She realized that it hadn't been just a dream, it had been real and she had been given a much-needed tool to save lives. While her face was still wet with tears, Ginny couldn't help the smile spreading over her face as she found the part on potions. "Èowyn, this just made my day! I'm going to save some lives today."


	16. Healing

_**AN: I am sorry it took so long to update the story. I have been going through a hard time, emotionally and it has taken its toll on my writing. I'm current working more on one shots that mirror my state of mind. However I do have a few chapters of this story almost ready to go.**_

 _ **Enjoy this next chapter!**_

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 **16\. Healing.**

Èowyn smiled happily and stepped aside as Ginny jumped out of bed, pulled on her boots and raced out. She ran through the corridor making her way to the infirmary. Halfway she passed Legolas, Gimli and king Théoden.

"Good morning!" She yelled and continued at neck breaking speed down the steps. Reaching the infirmary she threw the door open. "Héman!" she called loudly. The old man immediately appeared in the light coming from the door.

"Milady." He said with a small bow.

"You called for me?" She asked remembering why Èowyn had been with her.

"Yes, I had hoped you could help me with the cleaning of some of the men's wounds. Especially Háma, his wounds are starting to infect. I have made some athelas paste but I need help to apply them."

"Let's do it quickly than. After that I need your help." Ginny nodded.

Within an hour they had replaced all the bandages and treated every infected wound. Ginny was very worried she was too late to save Háma and the others. They were all already suffering from fever and the herbal paste wasn't enough to stop it. Though she recognized that it was very effective Ginny knew that the paste was outdated and not usable in the long run. They all needed magical intervention.

Around them a few nurses took care of those who had a fever but a cold cloth wasn't enough. She needed her potions. Blood replenishing and anti-inflammatory potions.

"Héman, could you get me two cauldrons both half filled with fresh water and can you direct me to your herbal stock?" Ginny asked the old man.

"Why do you ask milady?"

"They need medication to heal and they need it quickly. I can make them but I need your help."

It was a statement of his trust in her that he told Ginny where his herbal storage was without further questioning and he went to get the cauldrons.

Ginny opened her book and searched for the ingredient lists. As she skimmed through them she was relieved that none of the potions needed weird things like animal parts and dragon blood. She was pretty sure that they were not available here.

Ginny started to read the instructions and placing the ingredients in the right order of use. The instructions in this new book weren't exactly how she remembered them but the book told a quicker way with less ingredients. After a short consideration she decided to give it a try.

Searching through Héman's cabinet she found all the things she needed and was already cutting some of the roots when the old man returned. To her surprise king Théoden and Legolas were carrying the cauldrons.

"My lord, Legolas." Ginny greeted them without looking away from her work. "Please place the cauldrons above the fire." Both men did as they were asked and stepped back to watch her. Ginny felt their eyes on her, it itched a bit but she stayed focus on her work. She remembered Snape's constant cursing about the lack of proper attention kids seem to have for potion making.

When she was done cutting everything and started to steer the cauldron as the book told her to do, Théoden stepped up next to her. She looked at him for a second and smiled.

"Héman, is telling me you are trying to save my man with these concoctions." The king said. He didn't sound rude but Ginny heard a small hint of disbelieve or maybe distrust.

"I'm making blood replenishing potion and something to stop the fever." Ginny nodded.

The king looked skeptical but nodded.

"Will it work? Will it save the men?" He asked. Ginny knew he was distrusting of magic and for good reason but she would prove him that he could trust her.

"Yes, I'm very hopeful that most of them will be back on their feet tonight." She said with a lot of confident she really didn't feel. After a while Théoden left the infirmary with Legolas to organize the food supply and his army. They said a soft goodbye to Ginny but didn't disturb her in her work. Ginny wondered how the other magical people were in this world. They seemed to scare muggles and other creatures into respect rather than with doing good. Ginny resented that with all her heart. It's made her ever more determined to show them magic could be a beautiful thing when it wasn't used for causing pain or killing.

After two hours she was done. Together with Héman, as the nurses didn't want anything to do with magic, she gave each of the wounded men a cup of both potions. The eyes of the nurses burned into her skin as they watched from a dark corner with fear.

"Make sure they swallow it. It should be an instinct to swallow." She said as they started. Háma was given potions the last. By that time the king and Legolas returned with Gimli in tow.

Legolas had immediately moved to her side and helped her as he saw she needed somebody to support the guard.

"How long will it be before these potions start to work?" The king asked.

"The one against fever should work immediately. The other will take a few hours and they have to take a dose every hour until dinner." Ginny answered.

Théoden nodded and smiled at her. Ginny knew that he was trying to make up for the distrust he showed before. "Will they all be healthy again?" he asked, this time more kindly.

"I don't know, my lord, magic can't heal everything but for most of them I'm hopeful they will only have scars."

"That's good." Théoden said as he placed a hand on her shoulder as a gesture of friendship. "Thank you for all your work."

"Anytime."

After lunch time the first of the men started to wake up. Family and children were let into the infirmary and from the shadows next to Háma's bed Ginny watched with a soft smile as the father's wrapped their arms around their children. It was very gratifying to see.

"You have done great work, lady Ginevra." A soft voice next to her whispered. "People will now know that they can trust you."

"I know, Legolas, I'm happy to see them waking up but I fear that shortly they will have to fight for their life again."

"At least they will be able to defend themselves and their families instead of being slaughtered while their feverish sleep prevent them from acting." Legolas said.

"Yeah, that's true." Ginny sighed. She took one last glance at the healing men and walked out of the infirmary. Her job was done there but she wouldn't be able to do much more.

If she only knew how to make the fortress unplotable.

She walked around the castle asking Legolas questions about how the enemy would attack. He explained battle tactics for a large fortress and how Théoden planned to defend it. This helped her to find the places where her wards could be of use. As they walked she flipped through the pages of her book. She was searching for the incantations for the wards she wanted to use. Legolas just watched her work and read. He patiently answered questions and helped her a great deal.

They were just walking through the upper level of the inner part of the fortress when there was some commotion at the gate. They quickly returned to the stairs that lead up to the king's hall where they heard Gimli shout.

"Where is he? Where is he? Get out of the way! I'm gonna kill him!" Ginny saw the dwarf running down the steps towards a lone horseman. She immediately recognized the clothes this man was wearing. Without thinking she grabbed Legolas's hand and squeezed it in happiness.

"He is back." She whispered. Legolas squeezed back. He was smiling brightly.

"You are the luckiest, the canniest and the most reckless man I ever knew!" Gimli continued making both elf and Istar chuckle.

"Gimli, where is the king?" Aragorn asked quite serious after he accepted a friendly hug from Gimli. The dwarf nodded towards the hall. With a pat on the shoulder Aragorn left Gimli and climbed up the stairs. Ginny saw he was slightly limping and she noticed a deep cut on his arm.

Legolas stepped a bit away from her, blocking Aragorn's path to the hall. When he reached him Legolas smiled wickedly. It was like old friends meeting again.

"Le ab-dollen." He said in an unfamiliar language. Ginny had heard him and Aragorn speak it before. She guessed it was some sort of elven languages. Aragorn smiled at his friend. "You look terrible" Legolas continued. Making both Ginny and Aragorn chuckled. Though Legolas was right, Aragorn looked like he had already fought a war. Slowly Legolas opened his hand and gave the pendant he had found back to Aragorn.

"Hannon le." Aragorn whispered.

Ginny stepped closer to the Ranger and pulled out her wand. He flinched slightly but Ginny knew it wasn't personal, just a natural reaction. She smiled at him and traced her wand over the gash on Aragorn's arm. He flinched again as he watched the soft light of magic flowing from her wand. It was because Legolas was still smiling and looking at her work with great interest that Aragorn accepted whatever she was doing. It took her three spells to heal the wound but when she was done his skin looked like there never had been a wound.

"Thank you, Ginny." He said.

"You are very welcome, my friend." Ginny said with a smile. "I'm really happy to see you alive."

"I'm happy to be alive." Aragorn said.

"Was that your only wound? I though I saw you limping?" Ginny asked.

"My leg is a bit bruised and my ribs might have cracks but there are more urgent matters." Aragorn dismissively.

"Come to me after you have spoken to the king, I can heal your bones in seconds. There is no need for you to walk around in pain." Ginny told him and let the man pass.

Legolas, Gimli and Ginny followed him up to the hall. After all he was the leader of their gang of misfits. While climbing the stairs she glanced at Legolas. He met her look with a wink. He was really happy to have his friend back and for the first time since she came to Middle Earth she felt happy, for her friend that is.

Aragorn's story for the king wasn't a good one. War was coming quickly and the king was worried.

"A great host, you say?" he asked again.

Ginny had giving up on standing on her feet a while ago. She had sat down at the dinning table and was listening to the men. She was shaken and in fear by what was to come. Another massive battle was coming soon. She feared the memories that would surely come along with it. Yet, she felt determined to fight and win. She wanted to win it for those she had spend hours healing and for those she had started to care about.

"All Isengard is emptied" Aragorn said.

"How many?"

"Ten thousand strong at least."

Théoden's head snapped up and he looked at Aragorn in shock.

"Ten thousand?" he asked in disbelieve.

"It is an army bred for a single purpose ... to destroy the world of Men." Aragorn told the king. Théoden just gaped at him. "They will be here by nightfall." Aragorn said. He was followed by absolute silence. Théoden looked around him. For a second he wasn't able to make up his mind. Ginny could see he was shocked. Aragorn's announcement had him shaken. After just a second Théoden straightened up and a look of determination formed on his face.

"Let them come!" Théoden growled. He turned around and walked out. He was closely followed by Gamling, Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas and Ginny.

The king started reviewing and reorganizing the defenses. He ordered a few men to bring the women and children to the Caves. He also ordered to make safe storage for their food and water supply. Ginny agreed with the king that the fortress should be able to withstand a siege for a long time but that was what they had thought of Hogwarts as well. Their magical wall didn't last two hours of attacks. Would this stone build wall?

She paid close attention to where Théoden thought their weakness lay. She ran through her spell knowledge to find appropriate wards to use. The most important one was to defend the fortress against magical attacks. Just incase Saruman would be there as well.

"I want every man and strong lad able to bear arms to be ready for battle by nightfall." Théoden told Gamling. "Lady Ginevra, do you think the men that had been wounded in the Warg attack will be ready to fight?"

"Most of them will be. Many should be ready to leave the infirmary." She said.

"That's good news." The kind nodded and continued his way through the castle. "We will cover the causeway and the gate from above. No army has ever breached the Deeping Wall or set foot inside the Hornburg!"

"This is no rabble of mindless Orcs." Gimli sputtered. "These are Uruk-Hai. Their armor is thick and their shields broad."

"I have fought many wars, Master Dwarf. I know how to defend my own Keep." The king sounded calm but she could hear that he was insulted in his voice. Théoden walked on until he reached the highest point of the front wall. "They will break upon this fortress like water on rock. Saruman's hordes will pillage and burn. We've seen it before. Crops can be resown, homes rebuilt. Within these walls, we will outlast them."

"They do not come to destroy Rohan's crops or villages. They come to destroy its people ... down to the last child." Aragorn said. Ginny didn't think it to be smart to press the king's buttons like that but she was to late to stop him and Théoden was already angry.

"What would you have me do? Look at my Men. Their courage hangs by a thread." He growled, "If this is to be our end, then I would have them make such an end as to be worthy of remembrance."

"Send out riders, my lord. You must call for aid." Aragorn pressed on. Ginny knew Aragorn was just trying to help but he was only making Théoden more frustrated.

"And who will come? Elves? Dwarves? We are not so lucky in our friends as you. The old alliances are dead." Théoden growled. His eyes flaring with regret and anger.

"Gondor will answer." Aragorn fought for his point. Ginny decided to step away and start working on the wards. She was in no mood to break up fights between adult men. She started on the wall. She used her wards to strengthen it. The stone groaned under the weight of the spells.

After that she moved to the rim of the wall and pointed her wand up to the sky.

"Salvio Hexia" she spoke the incantation. A yellow light flared up from her wand and started to wrap around the fortress. Some people scream in fear or gasped in awe. She heard whispers behind her but she didn't care, no wizard would attack this fortress with magic, they would thank her for it later. After a few seconds the yellow blanket disappeared.

"What are you doing?" Théoden asked, he sounded angry with her as well. "You are scaring my people."

The anger in his voice and the distrust that people around her were showing hurt her. Especially after she had spend so many hours and so much energy to heal the soldiers. Even more as she remembered she had willingly murdered to protect these people. Like lightning her eyes flashed in anger as she turned around to face the king. Legolas who was standing next to the king took a step back in fear and shock. Neither of the men had seen her this angry before. It made her magic crackle around her.

She didn't really wanted start an argument with the king and she did everything to reign in the anger but still it seeped out of her. She felt her angry wild magic moving around her. It took all her self-control to keep it in check.

"I'm sorry, my lord!" Ginny sneered. The anger and magic were evident in her voice. "I was just ensuring some magical safety on your fortress. If you'd rather have Saruman be able to strike with magic I will reverse the spells."

Gimli, Aragorn and Gamling took a step back as well when her anger lashed out. Recovered from his shock, Legolas stepped forward to offer some support but it barely penetrated the anger. Théoden looked at her with an expression that she couldn't place but held his ground. When he didn't answer her and just looked like she had informed him that Salazar was fluffy bunny she turned around.

"Let me know when you make up your mind. I'm going to check on Háma, he should be awake by now." She growled. "Hopefully some of your men would appreciate my work. They would have been dead otherwise."


	17. The Red Istar

**AN1: Thanks for the reviews so far. Here is a new chapter. Please don't forget to send me your thoughts.**

 **AN2:**

 _Italic: Thought_

 **Bold: Elvish**

 _ **Italic and Bold: Thoughts in Elfish**_

* * *

 **17\. The red Istar**

Ginny marched off to the infirmary. She felt the eyes of her three friends on her but didn't react to them. They should stick up for her anyway. At least Legolas had shown some support.

She found Háma awake and talking to his son.

"Lady Ginevra!" Haleth said happily. "I was just telling my dad how you saved my little brother and how you treated his wounds."

"Don't exaggerate too much, my friend. I did what I had to do." She answered the boy.

"He wasn't milady. He was telling a very simple story." Háma said. "I hear that I have to thank you for saving my life."

"It was nothing, sir." Ginny said with a blush. "Like I said, I did what I had to do." Ginny told him again as she walked closer to him. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm good, a bit weak but I don't have any pain. Remarkable after an attack like that."

"The cuts and scratches healed easily. You had two broken bones that penetrated the skin. We were very worried about infections and fever."

"Your magic really does miracles milady." Háma said. "What is going on out there? Haleth said everybody was in a state of panic."

"Saruman's Uruk-Hai will attack tonight. Aragorn says there are at least ten-thousand of them." Ginny muttered. Háma looked shocked. He paled a bit before flushing red with what Ginny could only describe as angry.

"Can I fight?" He asked.

"Let me check your wounds and give you a last potion first, then we'll see." Ginny said. The guard swallowed the potion Ginny gave him without complaining and let her inspect his wounds. He had healed beautifully, better than she ever expected. She wasn't even a properly trained healer but apparently enough experience does teach you a lot.

"Hmmm… It would be a shame to let you go, the risk of destroying all my work." Ginny mused. "But I guess you want to fight."

"Of course." Háma nodded.

"Alright, I suggest you find some clothes and report to the king." Ginny said with a smile.

"Thank you, milady. For everything."

Ginny nodded and left the almost empty infirmary.

The fortress was a mess. People were running everywhere, woman and children cried as they sad goodbye to their family members able enough to fight. Ginny wandered around deciding that she would take her place on the highest spot that was closest to the wall. She could easily hit her targets from there with a good and safe aim.

After a long walk she found Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas at the armory. She silently took her place next to Legolas and looked at Aragorn as he went through the swords that were handed out. Legolas acknowledged her presence by brushing his hand against hers. It was a small touch but a very welcome one. At least there were people around here that cared for her. Witch or not.

"Farmer, farriers, stable boys. These are no soldiers." Aragorn stated. Apparently he was still angry with the king and not agreeing on his tactics.

"Most have seen too many winters." Gimli commented.

"Or to few." Legolas agreed.

Ginny agreed that many seemed too old or too young to fight a battle but it was what they had to do with. There was no need to lament about that. At Hogwarts they had to fight a massive army with children too, most not even off age. Not many knew how to fight at all but they did it and did it well.

"Look at them. They're frightened. I can see it in their eyes."

 _Of course they are frightened_! Ginny sighed internally.

" **Boe a hûn...neled herain...dan caer menig**!" the elf continued. (And they should be...Three hundred ...against ten thousand!)

" **Si beriathar hýn. Amar nâ ned Edoras**." Aragorn replied. (They have more hope of defending themselves here than at Edoras.)

Ginny look from Aragorn to Legolas and back, she was getting frustrated with them using a language she couldn't understand. Whatever they had to say now was not the time to keep secrets. A glance at Gimli told her that she wasn't the only one feeling frustrated.

" **Aragorn, Men i ndagor. Hýn ú-...ortheri. Natha daged aen**!" Legolas continued. (Aragorn, we are warriors. They cannot win this fight. They are all going to die!)

Something Legolas said angered Aragorn. Aragorn's eyes flared up on anger, lighting them with an unfamiliar fire. Ginny had only ever seen the calm Aragorn.

"Then I'll shall die as one of them!" he yelled and left the armory angry. Legolas meant to follow him but Gimli stopped him.

"Let him go, lad. Let him be" the dwarf said. Ginny looked after Aragorn. He was still limping slightly. He needed her help and she wanted to talk to him. She needed a bit of advice but she wasn't sure if this was the right time to go after him.

Her heart fluttered as she realized that if she didn't go after him she might not see him before the battle started.

"I'll go after him." She whispered to the elf and dwarf.

Ginny ran after Aragorn, finding him sitting on some steps, looking out over the field in front of the fortress. The enemy was already visible in the distance. It remembered her of the battle at Hogwarts, how the Death Eater gathered in front of the wards. At least this fight would be simpler. She was almost sure she would face no resistance against her magic.

"Are you alright?" She asked Aragorn as she sat down next to him.

"Yeah." He sighed and relaxed. "I just hate knowing what is to come."

"Hmmm…" Ginny nodded. "Aragorn I want to fight from up there." She pointed to the tower that reached out over the complete wall.

"Why there?"

"It will be high enough for me to send spells in every direction and it will be close enough to the battle to have a good aim."

"You have thought this through properly?"

"Yes."

"You know the Uruks can still reach you there once they reach the wall with their ladders."

"I know. I'll be able to defend myself."

"Alright, than you'll have to stand next to Théoden as that is the king's tower."

Ginny nodded and bit her lip.

"Théoden will not be happy with me after I snapped at him." She mused. It made Aragorn laugh.

"No, he wasn't amused but he is a kind man and he has already forgiven you. You hold a special place in his heart. He wanted to sent you to the caves to keep you safe."

"What?"

"Yeah but Legolas told him to forget it. That you would probably be of more use in this battle than many of the king's men." Aragorn told her. "I agreed with Legolas, though I have to tell you Legolas seems quite protective of you."

"The feeling is mutual." Ginny said. "For all four of you, you are my friends now. Just like back home I would die protecting my friends. Even though I didn't agree with Théoden and I hate that his people are still distrusting of a witch, he is still a friend."

"I'm happy to hear you still consider all of us as your friends. I would not want to be your enemy." Aragorn said with a smile. He got up and held out his hand to Ginny. "Come, let us get ready."

Ginny hadn't failed to notice his pained look as he got up and remembered that the man was still injured.

"Let's heal you first." Ginny said as she reached for her wand. "This will only take a second."

Aragorn nodded and let her work calmly. She was happy he was accepting of her magic now. When she was done with his ribs Aragorn let out a sigh of relieve.

"Thank you, that feels so much better."

Ginny smiled at him and slid her wand back in its holster.

Later, Ginny stood against the wall of the armory as she watched Aragorn prepare for battle. He had given her strong leather arm protectors, a leather vest and leg straps so that she was at least a bit protected against blows of the sword. She had taken a second to charm all the leather to be almost as hard as dragon skin. No sword would penetrate her protection. She felt like she was in her Quidditch uniform and it made her feel battle ready.

Aragorn was putting on a chainmail and organizing his weapons when Legolas entered the armory. He was already dressed for battle, his quiver full of arrows and his knifes in place of his back. He picked up Aragorn's sword and handed it to him.

"We have trusted you this far. You have not led us astray. Forgive me. I was wrong to despair." He said to Aragorn.

" **Ú-moe edhored, Legolas**." Aragorn said and Ginny groaned, making the two man turned to watch her.

"You two either teach me that language or stop speaking it in front of me. It's not nice." She said. Both men looked at her incredulously.

"You want us to teach you elvish?" Legolas asked.

"Yes, as soon as we have dealt with this battle, or speak a language we all understand."

Before the other two could reply Gimli stumbled in.

"We had time, I'd get this adjusted." He said as he pulled a chain mail down. Ginny clapped her hand over her mouth as she almost broke out in laughter. It was way too long and looked like a dress on the dwarf. "It's a little tight across the chest." He huffed. Ginny sputtered in laughter.

"Oh, Gimli let me help you with that!" she laughed. She walked towards him. He didn't say anything but watched her. She placed an enlargement spell on the top and used a quick cutting spell to cut away half of the chain mail so that it reached just above his knee. "There, that's better isn't it?" She said but the dwarf's reply was cut short by the sound of a horn echoing through the night.

All heads snapped up and Legolas stepped forwards.

"That is no Orc horn." The elf said. Before he had finished Aragorn ran out with big smile on his face. Ginny looked up at Legolas for an explanation but he ran after Aragorn as well. Not wasting a second she followed them to the top of the stair at the entrance of the fortress.

She skidded to a halt with Gimli next to her. Down at the entrance stood an impressive battalion. The man that was clearly its leader was speaking to Théoden.

"We come to honor that allegiance." The blonde man said as he looked up at them.

Aragorn ran down and pulled the man in a hug.

"Mae govannen, Haldir." He said. Ginny saw that blonde man wasn't used to the contact. When Aragorn released him she noticed his pointy ears. He was an elf. "You are most welcome." Aragorn breathed.

When Legolas stepped up to greet the man named Haldir, the other elves sprang in a saluting stance. It looked like a very official ceremonial meeting between the two and Ginny remembered with a slightly uneasy feeling that Legolas was indeed a prince in the Elven world.

"We are proud to fight alongside Men once more." Haldir said to the king before turning his eyes to Ginny. Recognition flared in them, though Ginny was sure she had never seen this elf before.

"Mae govannen, red Istar." He said with a bow.

"It means, well met." Legolas whispered to her. Ginny nodded and stepped down a few steps to meet the warrior elf.

"Mae govannen, Haldir." She said. She was sure that she pronounced the elvish wrong but at least she gave it a try. The tall elf smiled at her. When his smile reached his eyes she was struck by the shear beauty of the elves. He wasn't beautiful like Legolas, no one could be that stunning, not even a god but there was something special to Haldir. She wondered if all elves were so beautiful. A quick glance over his shoulder confirmed to her that indeed all elves were beautiful.

"You learn quickly, milady." Haldir commented with a slight bow.

"Nah, just that. Those two refuse to either translate or talk in languages we all understand. So I have to try. My name is Ginevra but please call me Ginny." Ginny said with a smile.

Haldir nodded at her after a quick glance from Legolas to confirm what she had said.

"My Lady Galadriel asked me to give you this." Haldir said. He held out a silvery chain with a small pendant. Ginny took it and looked at it closely. It was the Gryffindor crest made from something close to crystal. "She asked me to tell you that you should remember how truly brave you are. A real lioness can face anything."

Tears erupted in her eyes. She didn't know who this Galadriel was but it was a gift that got straight to her heart. With a soft smile she accepted Haldir's help with fastening the necklace. The moment the pendant touched her skin it flared bright red. It was the same color as her hair. With a jolt Ginny felt the magical power of it flow through her. The immense increase in power made her a bit lightheaded. As she started to sway on her feet under the pressure of the magic she heard a female voice in her head.

" _The fire within your heart and soul will never stop burning, nor will your magic falter. The pendant of Gryffindor will serve to remind you of that strength._ _Find the bravery that is fed by both the fire and magic within you and become the red Istar of fire. Become the lioness of middle earth, lady of Gryffindor_ _._ "

As the words echoed through her head she saw a lady in white standing in a golden forest. Around that lady stood the people she loved. All were encouraging her to go on. A second later the vision shifted to another forest. She saw herself in a beautiful pale green dress similar to the dress of the white lady. She looked happy and her eyes were full of laughter.

" _The future is not yet decided, red Istar. You have to choose your own path."_

When the echoing in her head stopped she noticed Legolas's hand on her back to steady her. Slowly she found her balance again but the words of that female voice lingered in her heart and soul. Settling into something stronger. Like she felt the fire that was mentioned burning deep within her.

"Thank you, Haldir." Ginny said as she regained her bearings. She actually felt stronger and she felt the energy of the earth tingle in her fingers. The pendant seemed to center all magical flows around her.

"The pendant carries the light of Carnil, our battle star. It gives you strength and focuses your magic." Haldir said to her as they followed the king up the steps. Aragorn was already organizing the positions of the elves. "That's what you felt when you placed the pendant around your neck."

"That explains." Ginny nodded. Aragorn called for Haldir's attention and Ginny took her leave from his attention and turned to Legolas. She had felt his eyes on her from the moment Haldir had greeted her as a red Istar.

"You are fighting." He stated as he looked at her. It wasn't a question but she felt compelled to answer the unspoken part.

"Yes."

"Will you fight next to me?" He asked.

"Where will you stand?"

"Mid wall, next to Aragorn and Gimli."

"Than I can't fight next to you. I need to be higher up to get a better aim. It will be saver for everybody if I'm higher up." Ginny explained. She could see the disappointment in his eyes. They dimmed a bit. "Don't." she whispered and stepped closer to him. "Don't make me feel bad about it. I'm doing what is best for all of us."

"I know." He whispered with a sigh. "Will you please fight to survive?"

"Don't worry about me." Ginny said as she took another step closer to him. There was something pulling her to him. Just a foot away from him she stopped. "I promise, my friend, I'll be there when the sun rises." She placed her hand on his arm and smiled.

"Alright." He sighed. "Be careful and stay safe."

"You too and take care of Gimli. He seems too eager to fight." Ginny placed her hand on his cheek. "And take care of yourself! I don't want to loose any of you."

"We will be there as well. Don't worry."

Ginny smiled at him and nodded. She turned around to follow Théoden up the steps to the highest tower. She wrapped the cloak Legolas had given her around her and covered her hair with her hood. Some how she still felt the need to protect her identity. Logically thinking the wizard could be just behind his men or even hidden between them.

When they reached the top Théoden noticed her.

"The elf said you are very capable of fighting, yet you do not carry any weapon." He said to her as he faced her.

"Do you need a demonstration of what special a weapon this wooden stick is, my lord?" Ginny asked him, working hard to prevent a sneer forming on her face. They would be facing their enemy soon, no need to start arguments now but the king had other ideas.

"Your magic scares my men." He bristled.

"Now that's a lie. A female with magic scares them, yet they easily accept Gandalf." Ginny growled at him. She took a threatening step closer to him. "Your men are cowed by a young woman with a small wooden stick. If I have them fleeing to the caves, how can you expect them to stand against the Uruks?"

"I do not fear her." Háma said. Gamling nodded in agreement.

"You talk about simple men." Théoden argued.

"They'll learn soon enough that I'm not to fear." Ginny said and turned around. "Besides they trust their king, right?"

"Is that why you are here?!" Théoden roared. "To use me! To undermine my rule."

Ginny whipped around and glared at him.

"Do not speak to me like that!" She growled. The men noticed her anger burning in her eyes and the pendant flared up bright red. They all stepped away from her. "I worked long and hard to restore the health of your men, to make sure they would survive to see another day. I have protected this fortress against any magical attack Saruman might release up on you, just to protect you. I enhanced the resistance of all your doors. I have strengthened the stone walls of this castle. All so no magic from Saruman will be able to turn the battle. All I did so far was to aid you and your kingdom surviving an attack by an enemy that is way above your capability. You barely survived a magical possession, do not make the mistake that you could survive an all out attack. I stand here ready to fight for your people when not a week ago I lost my complete family, best friend, and future husband in a battle much worse than this. And you accuse me of using you for my own gain!"

Ginny was growling deeper and deeper. She felt her own anger struggling to explode out of her but she knew she couldn't let it control her. It was too dangerous. She would have to wait for the Uruks to vent her anger. Taking deep breaths she turned away from the king. Her small frame was shaking with anger.

After just a minute she felt somebody stepping closer to her and tensed. It was either one of his men to throw her out or the king himself. She guessed the first.

But she guessed wrong. She felt a hand placed on her shoulder that was squeezed softly.

"I'm sorry, milady." The king said in a soft voice that nobody besides the two of them would hear. "I let myself go. I do trust you. You should know that. Sometimes I let my own grief and anger get in the way."

Ginny placed her hand on top of his and turned around with a wicked smile.

"Let us get revenge for Théodred." She smirked.

"Yes, let us do just that!" Théoden growled.


	18. The Battle for Helm's Deep

**AN1: A quick update ... I hope you all like this... Please review to let me know your thoughts.**

 **AN2:**

 _Italic: Thought_

 **Bold: Elvish**

 _ **Italic and Bold: Thoughts in Elfish**_

* * *

 **18\. The Battle for Helm's Deep.**

Legolas watched the high tower with interest and worry. He had expected a confrontation between Ginevra and Théoden and wasn't disappointed. They were both terribly stubborn and short tempered. After what happened that afternoon Legolas knew that the final words hadn't yet been spoken between Ginevra and Théoden. He could only hope that they kept their anger under control.

As he watched the confrontation unfold Aragorn was barking around orders. It frustrated him that with all the noise around him, he couldn't hear her words to the king. He smiled with satisfaction as he saw Théoden coil back like she slapped him in the face. Ginny must be very angry or she wouldn't have used words so hurtful.

For a moment it frightened him as Théoden could easily kill Ginny. Especially with her back turned towards him. Therefore Legolas was happily surprised to see Théoden's anger evaporate and some form of sadness returned on his face. It made him wonder what the red head had said. It must have been really harsh and to the point to snap the strong minded man out of his anger like that.

Legolas couldn't help but feel proud of Ginevra as he watched her and Théoden raise their weapons together a few seconds later. For sure this woman was special and he wondered what his stubborn father would think if her. Before Gimli reached him he shook his head to clear it. Like there would be any reason to think about introducing her to his father…yet.

L&G&L&G&L&G&L&G&L

Lighting flared across the sky and Ginny got her first good look of the army that was approaching them. It was massive. She swallowed in fear as she realized that this was big issue. Though the Death Eaters had been in large numbers they held nothing to this army. A sea of enemies they were.

There was no way she could fend off all Uruks with her magic. The small piece of hope that she had on solving this with out too much pain left her. People would die tonight and she could easily be one of them. That fact bothered her more than she liked.

She glanced down the lower wall and found her three still new friends standing together. Aragorn was looking at the approaching army as Gimli and Legolas spoke to him. Suddenly all three looked up at her and she wondered what they had been talking about. Would they depend on her magic to win this? Were they thinking she should be in the caves or were they afraid of her switching sides?

Before she could worry too much Legolas smiled at her and Aragorn bowed his head slightly to her. She bowed back and smiled. Warmth spread through her as she realized she was standing with friends again. This small gesture made clear that Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas trusted her, valued her as their friend. That was all that matters.

As the Uruk army drew closer Ginny started to feel for the magic of Middle Earth. She searched for that strong steady hum to draw power from. As it had done in the forest it heightened her senses. She could see sharper and with more detail. The thick cloak she was wearing hid the glow of her aura making sure that the others couldn't see her working.

With her sharpened eyesight she saw where the armor of the uruks started. Where skin was reachable. It wasn't much but with this better sight she was confident she could hit them. Besides that she could always put blasting and cutting curses to good use.

" **A Eruchîn, ú-dano i faelas a hyn ... an uben tanatha le faelas**!" Aragorn called out over the troops in elvish. (Show them no mercy ... for you shall receive none!)

For a second Ginny wondered why Aragorn was commanding the elves and not Haldir. Haldir clearly had been their commander and if not it should have been Legolas who had the right to command as a prince in the elven world, or so she assumed. Yet she found Haldir standing far away from Aragorn and Legolas. He was dressed just like the other elves. The only difference was his lack of armor. Apparently he didn't thought anything of it and Ginny pushed her questions away for more appropriate times.

The battle sounds of the uruks grew, their drumming steadily grew louder. Once they reached a fair distance from the keep they stopped.

 _What are they waiting for_ , she wondered. Before the Hogwarts battle the Death Eaters had waited as well but it had been because they had to take down many protective wards before they could even enter the grounds. She was sure with the Uruks that wasn't the case. She had not had time to place extensive wards against these creatures. It frightened her slightly that she was treading unfamiliar grounds. She was going into a battle with many unknown things and strategies.

The fall of the rain increased and Ginny muttered an Impervius charm so her thick cloak wouldn't become to heavy with water. She turned around and did the same thing for the men around her. After a very surprised look most men thanked her.

She waited impatiently until someone made a move. She now knew what the phrase ' _The silence before the storm_ ' really meant. Besides the heavy breaths in fear and the falling rain on metal armor there was absolutely no sound made as the two armies faced each other.

Suddenly an arrow was shot. An old man standing below hadn't been able to hold it.

" **Dartho**!" Aragorn yelled but he was to late. (hold!) The arrow hit one of the Uruks and killed it. This was the signal both armies had been waiting for. The Uruk's commander roared loudly and they began their attack.

For a second Ginny was shocked by the shear brutality of this attack. There were no subtle fights and duels like there had been at Hogwarts. This fight was fought with brute force. Above the noise she heard Aragorn yell something but she couldn't understand it clearly. Arrows flew and hit the Uruks. For Ginny this was her cue. The battle had started. The waiting was over.

She raised her wand and aimed to the ground just before the archers of the Uruk army.

"Perstrepo!" She yelled and the heavy blasting curse blew a hole in the ground right before the approaching Uruk-hai and made them fly great distance. She noticed shock running through the Rohirrim as they noticed her blast but they didn't falter and kept shooting arrows.

"Ignem." She muttered aiming her wand at the salvo of arrows that passed her. Immediately the arrows lit up with flames but didn't burn them. As they hit their target the Uruks busted into fire. A trick she had learned from Bill.

"Brilliant Ginevra!" She heard Aragorn shout from below her. She smiled and her confidence in battling the Uruks grew. She repeated this action a few times with great result. Though it didn't stop all the Uruks from reaching the fortress.

As she walked over to the edge of the wall, Ginny noticed that the arrows from the Uruk army killed and wounded many people on their side but she couldn't figure out what to do about that. Her transfiguration skills were great but to transform flying arrows into something harmless needed a lot more training and skill. Also there wasn't any shield she could keep up that was strong enough to keep them from reaching the fortress.

While she thought over a solution she continued shooting off spells at the enemy. She varied between blasting curses, fire curses and well aimed cutting curses. While it helped a bit the enemy army was just too big. The uruks kept on advancing and after what seemed only a minute they reached the wall and raised their ladders.

"Swords! Swords!" Aragorn shouted.

Ginny looked around her and noticed that they could even reach the tower where she was if they managed to get onto the first wall. It was just one stairs up. She stopped her spell shooting for a second to look at the battle that was starting on the wall below her. It was brutal, bloody and fast. So fast so that she wasn't sure her wand skills would be of much use.

She saw the elves moving extremely quickly, like she had seen McGonagall do during her duels, it was like dancing. Still many of the elves were dying. Ginny knew she didn't possess that much skill, not with wand nor sword.

For that second her bravery was failing. Suddenly she feared for her death and for her new friends. She wouldn't and couldn't loose them too. In a small fit of panic she searched for Legolas and Gimli, she found them battling close together. Gimli was smiling and clearly enjoying himself.

Aragorn as battling close to Haldir, they seemed to have done that many times before. They all seemed incredibly skilled. They fought without hesitation and neither of her friends showed any sign of fear, only determination.

Ginny took a deep breath and heard that woman's voice ringing through her head again. It was telling her to never forget she was a Gryffindor. Bravery was a natural part of her.

 _Sometimes to insanity_ , she thought as she remembered some of the actions of her classmates, _but I got absolutely nothing to loose so I can afford to go by a bit of insanity_.

She pulled off her cloak and smiled. _Insanity it is!_ She thought. She stepped up on the ledge of the tower. It made her more able to hit Uruks that were on the wall below her. She wasn't going to give up, nor would she break her promise to that little girl. She would defend the people of Rohan the best she could even if it meant breaking her promise to Harry.

She ignited two ladders as the reached the wall, effectively preventing the Uruks on them to enter the fortress. While she kept muttering curses and slashing her wand she kept an eyes out for her friends. Legolas was easy to spot with his golden hair but Aragorn and Gimli were harder to find. She just wanted to make sure they were all right.

Behind her Uruks started to reach the tower she was on. She casted a Disillusionment charm over herself in the hope that the Uruks wouldn't see her or notice her that easily. She heard Théoden defending his tower. He growled, shouted and ordered as his sword sung in the air. She turned around to help him, shooting well-aimed cutting curses at the Uruks that started to advance on the king's men.

" **Togo hon dad** , Legolas!" She suddenly heard Aragorn shout behind her. (Bring him down, Legolas!) It was so loud and panicked that she looked away from the target she was aiming at to see what was going on. Aragorn was pointing to something in the midst of the army. Ginny scanned the enemy only to find an Uruk running towards the wall with a burning torch.

Legolas shot two arrows at him. Though they hit target the Uruk kept on running like the arrows didn't cause him any discomfort.

" **Dago hon! Dago hon**!" Aragorn yelled again. (Kill him! Kill him!)

Ginny stepped closer to the edge of the wall to try and get an aim on the Uruk. Her second killing curse she ever performed went straight for the Uruk but she was too late, he had already dived into the opening of the massive wall.

Suddenly there was a loud blast and the fortress was ripped to pieces. The blast wave had Ginny flying off the wall.

Not even thinking about getting splinched Ginny apparated in midair. Something she had never tried before and something she knew was extremely dangerous. It was the quickest way to get splinched but the blast had been next to Legolas and Aragorn. All she wanted to do was make sure they were alive, she hadn't even been thinking about the fact that she had been falling to her death. Only the thought of Legolas and Aragorn being hurt was on the front of her mind. The need to ensure that they were alright made her apparition go smoothly.

She landed just behind the wall and was in time to see Legolas getting up and Aragorn being pulled out of the water by Gimli.

"Are you alright?" She asked Legolas as she approached him. He jumped up in shock. Ginny lifted the charm she had placed up on herself. Legolas's eyes flashed at her in recognition and nodded.

"I'm okay." He said quickly before running off with his arrows firing rapidly. He was already gone before Ginny could check up on him. She let him go as he moved as smoothly and elegant as ever.

Shaking her head she noticed the other elves that had been positioned behind the wall. She was just in time to duck out of the way when a volley of arrows came flying past her.

Uruk's flooded through the hole in the wall and Ginny hid herself in the shadows. She send cutting curse after cutting curse at the Uruks, it helped very little. There were just so many.

 _I'm going to need a sword soon._ Ginny thought to herself as the Uruks came closer. She drew on a bit more energy from the earth knowing it would draw more attention to her but muttered a strong blasting curse anyway. Many Uruk's were send flying but as she expected it drew the attention of the rest of them to her.

"Shit!" She muttered as she stepped back into the shadows of the broken wall. The attack of the elves drew the focus from many Uruk-hai away from her but two of the kept their eyes focused on her.

Quickly, she realized that they brought out the deepest fear in her. Her memory flashed and replaced the Uruk's faces with that of the Death Eaters she had faced. Greyback and Mulciber. She could even smell the dirty blood covered werewolf, it made her shudder in disgust.

Automatically she raised her wand and took dueling position, the two Death Eaters were advancing on her, slowly and with steady gait. Her memory pulled her deeper and deeper away from reality.

The Uruk raised his sword but to Ginny it was a Death Eater raising his wand to strike.

"Stupify!" Ginny yelled at her attacker, to her surprise the Death Eater didn't pull up a shield, he just fell down. When she looked up at the other Death Eater he was gone, replaced by the ugly face of an Uruk. _Gods, I'm going insane_!

Not even having time to think anything else Ginny shot another stunner at the second Uruk. This one however rebounded off the heavy armor. It shot straight back towards her. She was just in time to raise her shield but it left her unprotected and not able to safely shoot another spell at the Uruk.

 _I need help_! She thought desperately as the Uruk was now in striking distance with his crude sword. _I need a sword_!

The Uruk raised his sword to strike. Ginny raised her left arm to shield her face from the blow.

 _This is it. I'll be seeing Harry soon_ , she thought with a sigh. She just prayed it wouldn't hurt too much.

"Ginevra!" She heard somebody scream. She opened her eyes again to see Legolas fighting his way towards her. "Ginny! Move!" Her eyes met the elf's ocean blue ones for a second. She saw the fear, the angst and the pain in them as the Uruk's sword came down.

"Shit!" She screamed as her survival instinct kick in. It had been something in Legolas's eyes that woke up the instinct. ' _Give me a sword!_ ' She yelled inside her head as she heard the Uruk's blade coming down.

Suddenly her wand was replaced by something much heavier. It was cold and metallic. With a shock she realized this was the help she had been praying for. This was the sword she had begged for. Drawing on her Quidditch reflexes she raised her right arm just in time to stop the blow.

The Uruk-hai was so surprised by the sudden appearance of the sword that he took a step back, straight into the short swords of Legolas.

"Ginny?" He asked as soon as the Uruk fell. "Ginny, are you okay? Where did you get that sword from so quickly?" He stepped closer and pulled her deeper into the shadows.

Absolutely stunned Ginny looked down at her right hand. A goblin made silvery blade sat easily in it. She immediately recognized the sword. How could she not, she had seen it in Harry's hand in the chamber of secrets. She had seen Neville using it to destroy Nagini. Godric's sword. Only a true Gryffindor could wield it.

"Ginny?" Legolas asked. He pushed her back even further into the shadow of the wall and she let him.

"Godric's sword." She muttered. "The most illusive and honored blade in the magical world."

"Are you okay?" He asked again.

Ginny looked up at him, his concern was sobering and pulled her out of her train of thoughts. Was she okay? She wasn't sure, just a minute ago she faced a very bad memory. It nearly killed her. Yet, she had been able to defend herself and not let it control her mind completely. She looked down again, the sword shining brightly in her hand. Gryffindor's sword! The blade that could destroy anything. She felt the magic from the sword flowing through her fingers. It was feeding her instead of feeding from her. It made her feel good, almost reckless. The real essence of a Gryffindor started to course through her veins.

She moved her wrist a bit and noticed that her wand was in its strap _. Weird_!

"Ginny?" Legolas asked again.

"I'm okay, Legolas." She whispered.

"That was too close for comfort." He muttered.

"Legolas have you ever seen magic at it's best?" Ginny said, not really knowing where it came from but meaning every bit of it. The longer she looked at the blade the more excited she started to feel. This blade had destroyed a Horcrux. This blade had destroyed a Basilisk. Surely it could destroy these foul creatures here. Maybe she should have recognized the madness of a pure Gryffindor but she didn't, all she felt and knew was the power and energy that this blade was feeding to her.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Ginny smirked at him. Insanity and madness, the most feared characteristics of a Gryffindor.

"Come on, let's destroy these foul creatures." Ginny growled

She didn't even recognize herself anymore as the spirit of the blade, the spirit of Gryffindor took over. Bravery to insanity and loyalty till death!

Legolas seemed a bit confused by her actions but Ginny didn't seem to notice it. She just stepped out of the shadow into the battle that was around them. Ginny did however notice that after a mere second Legolas joined her. Together they faced the battle and raised their swords.

Ginny took her wand in her left hand, realizing what a big plus it was to be able to work her wand with her left hand as good as her right. Ever since she bought her wand she had never favored a hand. She could work with both easily.

As she entered the battle Ginny realized that the things Aragorn had taught her were already ingrained into her body. However against a more capable enemy it wasn't enough to be able to defend herself. So instead of overthinking every move she let that Gryffindor madness guide her instincts. Together with her curses, it formed a deadly team.

The sword of Gryffindor was sharp and the snake's and basilisk's venom that had coated it made it a more deadly weapon than the elf arrows. It slashed through flesh and armor like a kitchen knife through soft butter.

With her wand she continued to fire blasting curses and cutting curses. She made sure that she kept using different hexes and curses as she went through the Uruk army. With a well-performed Oppugno she conjured up small metal birds, like arrows and send them at the enemy.

As they hit their targets perfectly Ginny couldn't rejoice, instead she felt a pain ripple through her. _Hermione would have been so proud!_ She thought for a second. Yet another Uruk was already advancing on her.

Together with Legolas she fought her way through the Uruk's to the higher walls. Soon she was fighting side by side with Gimli and Legolas.

"Aragorn! Fall back to the Keep! Get your Men out of there!" Ginny heard somebody shout. She looked up to see Théoden still standing on the tower.

" **Na Barad! Na Barad**!" Aragorn started to order. (To the Keep! Pull back to the Keep!)

Ginny looked around to see many of the elves slowly retreating as Théoden had ordered. Aragorn continued ordering everybody out of the lower parts of the fortress when Ginny heard him shout for Haldir.

" **Haldir! Na barad**!" He called to the elf warrior.

"Ginny, we have to move!" Legolas called behind her. She nodded but didn't move to the keep instead she kept shooting curses at the advancing enemy. "Ginny!"

"I'm coming in a second, take Gimli with you!" She answered.

" **Na barad**!" She heard Haldir call to the elves.

"Haldir!" She heard Aragorn shout, this time his voice sounded panicked. She looked around to see what was happening. Haldir was calling the elves to retreat, because of that he wasn't focused on the battle as much as he should. An Uruk was approaching him from behind. The creature was ready to strike.

Ginny didn't hesitate one moment. She closed her eyes and twisted on the spot. As soon as air filled her lungs again she opened her eyes and struck the Uruk with the sword. It slashed right through his back and killed him instantly.

"Haldir!" Aragorn shouted from behind her.

Ginny watched as the Uruk fell but his sword that had already been moving to kill Haldir still moved down upon the elf. With an automatic flick of her wrist she expelled the sword away but couldn't prevent Haldir being cut in the shoulder by it.

Haldir whipped around just in time to see the Uruk fall. His eyes widened in shock as he realized what had happened. He stared at the dead Uruk for a second before looking up at Ginny.

"Thank you." He said with a nod.

Ginny answered with a smile before shooting off another curse to an advancing Uruk.

"We have to go!" She yelled. She could see enemies were surrounding them.

"Ginny!" She heard Legolas called from above. She looked up to see him standing next to Théoden on the highest tower. "Get out of there!" She nodded to him and turned back to Haldir. He was looking around to find a way out.

"Haldir, hold on tight to me." She yelled as she held out her hand. "I'll get us out of here."

He shook his head.

"You can't fight us out of here." He argued.

"Stop being difficult and hold on." She growled and grabbed his arm. He was about to argue but a quick glance around him told him that he had no other option than to trust her. He nodded and took firm hold of his hand. "Don't think, just trust me." She said and twitched on the spot. Her mind completely focused on landing next to Legolas and Aragorn. Haldir let out a yelp of fear and surprise but he didn't let go. A second later she landed next to Aragorn and Legolas with Haldir in one piece.

"Dear Elbereth! What was that?" The elf warrior asked in shock.

"Apparition! The safest way to get out a tight situation." Ginny said with a smile as she let go of his hand. It took Haldir a minute to recover from it but when he straightened up he smiled at her.

"Thank you, Lady Ginny. You have saved me twice now."

"Don't mention it. I'm happy to help."

Haldir nodded but grimaced as he did. His attention was immediately diverted to the wound on his shoulder. Ginny watched as he inspected it for a second. The sounds just outside the wall made her think they didn't have time to linger.

"Here, let me help you one more time." She said and pointed her wand at his shoulder. He stepped back in shock of having the weapon pointed at him but she shook her head. "I didn't just risk a painful death to save your arse to kill you now, Marchwarden. Just let me help you and be done with it!"

Ginny grabbed his arm roughly and turned him around so she could see the wound properly. She traced her wand over it twice while whispering healing charms.

"There, that wasn't so hard, now was it?"

Haldir turned back to face her. He looked angry but after a second he moved his shoulder and a smile formed on his face.

"No it wasn't. I'm sorry I shouldn't have reacted like that. Thank you."

"Good. Now lets go before the others get them selves killed." Ginny said as she ran off up the stairs to where Legolas was still shooting arrows at the enemy.

From up the wall she saw Aragorn and Gimli fighting thousands of orcs at the gate. They looked overwhelmed. Ginny aimed her wand at the back of the bridge and shot a series of blasting curses. It worked as it gave Aragorn and Gimli a moment to catch their breath.

"Gimli! Aragorn! Get out of there!" Théoden yelled.

Ginny glanced down at the king. She saw that they were trying to hold the gate but it didn't look strong. She apparated to the king's side and immediately started to whisper incantations to strengthen the door. She transformed the broken down wood to the strongest English oak but it didn't help much.


	19. Victory

_**AN1: here with the next chapter in Ginny's adventure in Middle Earth. Please don't forget to review**_

 **AN2:**

 _Italic: Thought_

 **Bold: Elvish**

 _ **Italic and Bold: Thoughts in Elfish**_

* * *

 **19\. Victory**

Up on the wall Legolas and Haldir were helping Aragorn and Gimli up. Once they were standing next to them Legolas looked around. The situation wasn't favorable for them. Even with Ginny's magic they were just outnumbered.

"We have to regroup and rethink our strategy." Haldir told Aragorn. The man was catching his breath and nodded. Théoden was thinking the same thing.

"Pull everybody back! Pull them back!" The king yelled loudly.

Aragorn nodded and with a quick glance at his companions he ran off towards the hall.

"They have broken through! The castle is breached! Retreat!" Aragorn ordered the remaining elves and men.

Legolas nodded and together with Haldir he fought his way through the uruks back to the stairs and to the hall. Legolas made sure he kept an eye out for Ginny but he only caught a flash of red hair for a second. He was relieved to see it go in the proper direction.

" **She is very impressive**." Haldir said as he beheaded an uruk.

" **Who**?" Legolas asked.

" **You know who**!" Haldir laughed. " **The Red Istar is a very special one**."

" **She is**." Legolas nodded.

" **And scary at times**." Haldir laughed.

" **That too**." Legolas nodded as he entered the hall.

He immediately scanned the crowed for the red headed woman. He found her standing next to Gamling. Her wand was moving over his arm. Legolas walked over just in time to see her magic at work. He watched in awe as he was Gamling's skin knit itself together.

"Thank you, milady." Gamling said as he inspected his newly healed arm.

"Your welcome."

Ginny nodded and turned to Legolas.

"Are you okay?" She asked with a warmth that made him smile.

"Yes, not a scratch." He said happily. "You?"

"Actually I'm very surprised I made it out with only a bruise and that was by my own doing." Ginny said as she showed him a large blue spot on her pale skin right above her ankle.

"How did that happen?" He asked.

"Bumped it against the steps as I saved Haldir. A moment of clumsiness."

"You did not look clumsy out there. You fought very elegantly." Legolas said.

"Thanks but I'll never have your grace."

Legolas shook his head but didn't argue. He had been watching her closely during the battle, especially after their little moment in the shades. Her whole being had changed there. He wasn't sure but thought that her real self had come out. At least it was how he imagined the witch to be without the heartbreak and loss. As he had watched her go through the enemy he realized that he loved what he saw. A maiden warrior as deathly as a sword, fast as an arrow and as good as the purest moonlight. It had been magnificent.

"What will happen now? It looks like we're trapped." Ginny asked him. She wondered if she would have time to apparate everybody out but she was sure she didn't have that time.

"I do not know but we better enforce the doors as good as we can now." He said as the doors shook in its hinges. Ginny nodded and followed him to the doors. Haldir was already moving furniture with Gimli to place it against the door.

Legolas started to help them while from the corner of his eyes he saw Ginny shooting magic at the door.

As soon as she had gotten to the hall, people would ask her for medical aid. She did so willingly. Though healing spells were draining on her energy she helped them all. To have healthy strong men could make a difference in a fight.

"The fortress is taken. It is over." She heard Théoden say. His voice sounded defeated and sad. She turned around to look at him.

"You said this fortress would never fall while your Men defend it. They still defend it. They have died defending it." Aragorn argued angrily but Théoden didn't react. Instead he turned around to the door. A loud crash from outside was heard.

"Is there no other way for the women and children to get out of the caves?" Aragorn tried again to gain the attention of the king. "Is there no other way?"

Théoden didn't react. Ginny watched with a great sense of sadness. Théoden looked so lost and so sad.

"There is one passage. It leads into the mountains. But they will not get far. The Uruk-Hai are too many." Gamling finally answered Aragorn.

"They can at least try!" Ginny said.

"Tell the women and children to make for the mountain pass. And barricade the entrance." Aragorn said with a nod.

"So much death. What can Men do against such reckless hate?" Théoden asked in despair.

Ginny moved forward to yell at him about how he should fight in honor for those who had died. She wanted to yell at him that he shouldn't throw away the aid he got just because it looked bleak. She wanted to scream at him but Legolas took her arms and shook his head.

"Let them argue this one out." He whispered to her.

Ginny didn't agree and glared at Legolas for restraining her. Surprisingly he wasn't faced by her glare and just held her gaze. This was the true side of this stunning woman and the elf couldn't help but feel even more attracted to her.

"Ride out with me." Aragorn said after a long silence. "Ride out and meet them." His words lit up a fire inside Théoden.

"For Death and Glory." The king growled.

"For Rohan. For your people." Aragorn nodded.

A new sense of excitement charged the air. Ginny felt it running trough her. A new energy started to hum through the men.

"The sun is rising." Gimli said softly.

Aragorn, Ginny and Legolas all looked up at the window. They remembered Gandalf's words. For a second Ginny wondered if Gandalf had been successful. Had he found the king's nephew and his men?

"Yes. Yes. The horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the deep one last time!" Théoden growled.

"Yes." Gimli answered. Before Ginny could even blink the dwarf was off. Running towards a door at the back of the hall.

"Let this be the hour when we draw swords together." Théoden said to Aragorn. Aragorn nodded and Legolas stepped up next to him. Ginny, Haldir and his remaining elves followed.

In a flurry of organized chaos, horses were brought forth and they quickly mounted their steeds. Ginny rode with Aragorn, Haldir with Legolas and the elves as a back up. Many of the king's men found their own horse and soon the hall was filled with warriors ready to fight one final battle.

Again with a crash the door grumbled a little. The enemy was just outside.

"Fell deeds awake...now for wrath...now for ruin and a red dawn!" Théoden roared.

Ginny gripped her wand tighter in her left hand and the sword of Gryffindor in her right. Her heart was racing a mile a minute. This was the battle in which she would die. If Gandalf wasn't there they would all be dead in the next hour.

A loud horn like sound blew through the building. It made stone trembling.

"Forth Eorlingas!" Théoden shouted next to them. At the same time the Uruk-hai broke through the door.

Like one all the warriors on the horses moved forward. Racing through the rows of Uruk-hai. The fighting started immediately. Ginny was constantly shooting curses and swinging her blade. She had the freedom just to fight. In front of her Aragorn was directing Brego. Though, the horse seemed to know exactly where to go on its own.

She killed a dozen Uruks and suddenly they were outside. The fresh air whipped around her face. She looked around her. To her surprise they were already in the bridge to the gate.

A glance around Aragorn's shoulder told her that there were still thousands of orcs to deal with. The men around her were fighting bravely but they didn't make much headway with the Uruks. There were still too many for this small army. Ginny battled on but she was getting tired. Her magical reservers were severely drained and her body was aching with the lack of water, food and rest for the last twenty-four hours or so.

Her defense weakened and an Uruk managed to hit her with his sword.

"Fuck." She hissed in pain as she shot a cutting curse at the offending orc. It hit him straight in the face. Resulting in a gory sight.

She looked down at her leg. A large gash was visible through the ripped fabric of her breeches. It wasn't bleeding hard. Ginny concluded that it wasn't a deathly wound and could be dealt with later. She quickly conjured a bandage and magically wrapped it around the wound so it wouldn't get even more infected.

"Gandalf." She heard Aragorn whisper. Her head snapped up and she followed his eyes. In the top of the hill, between two large boulders stood the familiar white horse. Its rider was dress in white.

He was alone. Ginny's smile fell, as she didn't see the two thousand men he had been looking for. They couldn't win. Not with so few.

"Where is the rest?" She whispered.

Aragorn looked up from his battle again. He shook his head but just as he did it more riders appeared next to Gandalf.

"Éomer!" Théoden called out.

"There." Aragorn said with a smile. Ginny nodded and continued shooting curses at any enemy she saw.

The attack from Éomer's éored came in like thunder rolling down from a hilltop. The hooves of the horses made an incredible noise. Once they reached the enemy the clashing of metal sounded like a lighting bolt crashing down to earth.

Everything went so fast after that. Ginny was constantly swinging her sword. Hacking down Uruk-hai. She had abandoned her magic for the fear of hitting somebody on her side in the chaos. There was just too many Uruks with armor that could reflect a curse. Her whole body hurt from exhaustion but she kept swinging her sword. There seemed to be an unending amount of enemies. One killed was quickly replaced by another.

And then suddenly they were all gone.

"Victory! We have victory!" Théoden shouted.

Ginny looked around her. Indeed the Uruk-hai that had survived were fleeing from the fortress. They were running up the hill. Aragorn made Brego follow Théoden and Éomer. They raced after the enemy. Once they reached the top of the hill they saw them fleeing into a large forest. Ginny was pretty damn sure that, that forest had not been there a day ago.

"Stay out of the forest! Keep away from the trees!" Éomer ordered his men as some of them moved to follow the enemy. Éomer hadn't even finished his sentence when the trees started move and screams could be heard inside the forest.

' _More moving trees!_ ' Ginny sighed mentally. ' _At least they aren't talking_.'

They watched until the last of the screams died and the trees stopped moving.

"We have done it." Aragorn whispered.

"We did." Théoden nodded. "Thanks to you."

"No, we did it together." Aragorn said. "We all did. Every man that fought."

"Of course." Théoden nodded.

A short while later Ginny found herself back in the fortress. The king had asked her to use her magic to heal his men. While she felt exhausted from the lack of sleep, lack of food and the excessive use of magic in the last twenty-four hours, she couldn't say 'no' to such a request. Not even remembering the pain of her own wound she saw every wounded men and treated them to the best of her abilities. She was still going on the adrenaline rush from the battle.

The women and healer who had helped her in the infirmary before the battle tended to the small wounds and she tried to heal the deep and possible fatal wounds. She knew she saved many lives with her magic but it left her completely exhausted.

After she had seen most of the men she took an apple from the table of food and munched on it while she retreated to the chamber she had used as a bedroom before. The sugar from the fruit would restore a little bit of her reserves but she needed sleep and lots of it. With a heavy and tired sigh she let herself fall onto the bed.

"Merlin!" She hissed and gritted her teeth through the pain. Her leg was throbbing. Stabs of pain shot through her. She turned on her back to relieve the pressure from her leg. It didn't help. The pain only grew worse. "Oh damn." She swore. She clamped her eyes shut and bit her lip to prevent herself from screaming in pain.

After waiting for a minute to see if the pain would lessen she sat up and vanished the bandage. She couldn't keep herself from screaming this time. The pressure the bandage had provided had kept the real pain away. It was now fully released.

She couldn't help the tears that started to flow, the pain was just too much. After blinking a few times she dared a look at the wound. It was red and raw around the edges. It looked dirty.

"Fuck." She swore loudly. She knew she needed boiled water to clean it but getting up was almost impossible with the pain. She could barely move at all.


	20. Caring

**AN1: Thought I finish up Helm's deep today... so 2 chapters posted with 2 hours. I hope you all like this.**

 **AN2:**

 _Italic: Thought_

 **Bold: Elvish**

 _ **Italic and Bold: Thoughts in Elfish**_

* * *

 **20\. Caring.**

Legolas clearly heard a female scream coming from one of the bedrooms. Panic immediately ran through his heart, as he was pretty sure he knew who was screaming. Haldir's head snapped up as well. Their eyes met for a second before running off to where they heard the scream coming from.

They easily located the right room when they heard the witch swear. Legolas was all for barging in, he was very worried about the young woman but Haldir knocked first.

"Ginny?" Legolas called. He made a point to call her by the name she asked to be called. It would only anger or upset her more if he called her by her full name. They waited but no answer came. They did hear her swear and moan.

"Lady Ginevra! Are you alright?" Haldir asked.

They listened closely at the door. They heard Ginny sighed.

"Come in." A soft voice called them.

Without hesitation the elves opened the door. Both armed and ready incase there was something wrong. Legolas quickly looked around the room before his eyes settled on the pale white face of the witch. His eyes widened in shock as he realized she had been crying again. Not only that but her face was contorted by pain.

He quickly walked to her side. As he knelt down next to her he noticed the blood stained fabric of her breeches.

"What happened?" He whispered.

"During the battle on the bridge… one of the Uruks was too fast for me." She groaned. Her voice was rough with anger and pain.

Legolas looked at her wound in worry, the wound was already infected and he was sure fever would take her soon. It needed to be cleaned and healed.

"Can you not heal it yourself?" Haldir asked from behind him.

Ginny looked up at them. Legolas was struck by how tired she looked. He had never seen her this tired before. Not even when she couldn't sleep at night because of the nightmares.

"I'm too tired. I gave every ounce of magic I have to heal the men. I need to sleep first." She whispered.

"What do you mean?" Legolas asked. He was growing seriously worried about her.

"I can't use magic non stop. It drains the energy from me. First from my magical core but if I do too much it will take away part of my life force. I really need to sleep first." Ginny whispered.

Legolas looked at the wound again. It was in serious need of some treatment. He could do it the non-magical way. Maybe even use some of the elven magic he had been taught a long time ago but he knew he would never be as effective as Ginny would be.

"If I cleaned it and make sure you don't succumb to a fever could you heal it after you have slept?" He asked her.

"Probably. It will still leave a scar." She sighed. Legolas could see she was fighting the fatigue and the pain.

"Try to sleep. I'll take care of you." He said softly. After looking at him for a few minutes Ginny nodded and closed her eyes. Apparently she trusted him enough to make herself so vulnerable in front of him.

It took a while for her face to relax and her breathing to calm down enough to fall asleep. It scared him a little that she was so tired that she could sleep with a wound like this. Normally, men or elf, couldn't sleep when in so much pain or their minds would protect them and they would succumb to the pain. Pushing away his worries he softly hummed the song he had sung for her. It helped her relax further and hopefully take away more of her pain.

He had noticed that Haldir had left a while before to get supplies and aid but was Legolas was still startled when the marchwarden returned. He was followed by Aragorn and Gandalf. The elf was happy to see the two best healers they had.

"What is wrong?" Aragorn asked softly.

"She was wounded during the battle." Haldir explained. He pointed to the still bleeding wound on Ginny's leg.

"She healed all the men, how come she hasn't healed herself?" Aragorn asked confused.

"I don't know. She said she had used too much magic and was too tired to heal herself now." Legolas explained. His eyes never left her face. It was finally peaceful. A soft smile lingered around her lips. Her skin was still very pale and dotted with freckles. Her dark flaming red hair was dirty from the battle but still framed her face like a sun's halo. _**She looks so beautiful like this**_ , he thought.

"If it's cleaned I can heal a lot but not as good as she does." Gandalf said thoughtfully.

"I have brought a cauldron of hot boiled water. We should clean the wound as soon as possible." Haldir told him.

Legolas looked at Ginny again. He was hesitant to do it while she was finally sleeping peacefully. It would hurt to clean her wound. He wondered if she would wake up from the pain. Gandalf guessed his thoughts.

"I'll make sure she will stay asleep." Gandalf told him.

Legolas nodded and moved away from the head of the bed.

"I'll get some Athalas paste. It will help against the infection." Aragorn said softly and left the room.

Haldir and Gandalf were still there. Preferable Legolas would have done this when he was alone with her. It was something intimate to him and to have other males watching it wasn't right in his heart. He, however wasn't stupid, he knew he needed their help.

He pulled out his small knife and gently cut away the fabric of her breeches. They were dirty and bloody.

"I hope Aragorn reminds himself to ask lady Èowyn for new breeches for Ginny." Legolas muttered. With the patience only an elf could have he removed the bits of fabric that had gotten stuck in the wound.

Once he was done Haldir gave him a clean clot soaked in the boiled water. It was still warm enough to do its job. As Legolas washed the wound Gandalf whispered softly a sleeping spell in elvish.

Legolas was pleased that the spell worked so well. Ginny slept through the entire ordeal. She didn't even twitch or move while he took care of the wound. When he was done Aragorn handed him the athalas paste and he carefully applied it to the wound.

"It looks better." Aragorn said. "It will hold against infections until she wakes up."

"Yes. I'll cover it lightly." Legolas nodded.

Once they were done Gimli walked in with Èowyn.

"I brought new breeches for lady Ginevra. I don't know how she made the other ones fit but I guess she used her magic." Èowyn said softly. "How is she doing? I never noticed she was hurt."

"We neither." Aragorn admitted.

"No, she wasn't even limping when she was healing the wounded." Gimli spoke up.

"I think she is a hard one." Gandalf said slowly. "Maybe she is already so used to feeling pain that this is just another annoyance."

Everybody fell silence. Nobody said anything but stared at the witch on the cot.

Legolas thought about Gandalf's words. He prayed with all his heart that Gandalf was wrong. He knew Ginny was in constant heartache. He knew it was hurting her very badly but to become immune to other pain… It would need a lot more pain for a longer period. He couldn't imagine who would hurt such a small beautiful thing for a long time.

"We'll let her sleep for now. Once Théoden is ready to ride out we will wake her." Gandalf said and stood up.

"I'm staying with her." Legolas said as the others started to leave the room. Gandalf turned around and nodded.

"Yes, that might be better. She would welcome a friendly face once she wakes up."

Ten minutes later Legolas sat alone by Ginny's side. She was still sleeping peacefully. He thought about the battle for a long time. He liked to analyze after a battle. He could find errors in tactics and his own movements. Now however he was thinking about Ginny.

She had been amazing. Her magic had helped a lot. She single handedly killed so many orcs and uruks with just a spell.

He remembered how had she looked with her sword. Her eyes had been flaming like her hair. She had fought recklessly and bravely. Much like the dwarf but her ability to do magic and fight with a sword at the same time had been what kept her alive. Her sword skills hadn't been that good but her sword was as sharp as his blades and loaded with magic. It had killed instantly.

He turned to look for the sword. He knew he had seen it standing in the corner. Yet it wasn't there. He sighed, he would ask Ginny later if he could have a look at it. He was sure it looked almost elven made.

His thoughts moved back to the battle. He had seen how she saved Haldir's life. It had been another reckless move from her. Appearing right behind the uruk. She could have ended up in the middle of a slicing sword. He worried about that. He decided to ask Ginny a bit more about her abilities to disappear and reappear somewhere else. Perhaps if he understood it better he would know how big the danger was. It would save him a lot of worries.

He chuckled as he remembered how she had been with Haldir immediately after that. He hoped he had seen the Ginny without the heartbreak and pain. The way she handled Haldir and his reaction to her magic was almost like how his sisters were with him. Perhaps she had dealt a lot with brothers before her magical war.

Besides him a soft groan alerted him. He turned to see Ginny waking up.

"Merlin, that hurts." She moaned.

"Try not to move too much." Legolas whispered.

Her eyes snapped open and met his. She looked shocked to see him there.

"I stayed to look after you. As I promised you." Legolas explained. "We didn't want you to wake up alone."

Ginny smiled through the pain.

"That is very nice of you. Were you able to clean the wound?"

"Yes, did you feel anything?"

"I remember dreaming that my leg was hit by a curse but that somebody was there to help me. So I guess I did feel something."

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, how long was I asleep?"

"A bit more than an hour. You still look tired." He said.

"I am still tired." She said with a slow nod. "What is going on out there?" She asked him with a nod to the door.

"The king is organizing the return of his people to Edoras. Once he is done we will leave for Isengard. Gandalf wants to deal with the wizard first."

"When will we leave?" She asked as she slowly sat up. Legolas tried to assist her but she wouldn't let him.

"Early in the afternoon I guess." Legolas answered.

"Could you give me my wand?" Ginny asked as she pointed to the corner where her bag sat. On top of it lay the wooden stick. Legolas wasn't sure if he could just pick it up. He looked at it for a second, it looked harmless but he felt the magic it was emitting. "You can pick it up. It won't hurt you." Ginny said with a chuckle. He understood that his face had betrayed his worry.

He reached down to pick up the small piece of wood. His hand shaking slightly. He couldn't help it, the magic was just so strong. As his hand wrapped around the handle he felt a burst of warmth and love surging through his arms. It touched his soul. He closed his eyes for a second to commit the feeling to his memory.

Once he handed the wand back to Ginny the feeling left him.

"Thanks." Ginny smiled up at him. She pointed her wand to the bandage he had wrapped around her leg and vanished it. He heard her hiss in pain as the wound was exposed to the air.

"Are you rested enough to heal it?" He asked in worry.

"I think so." She nodded.

Silently Legolas watched as Ginny started to whisper the healing words. It still left him in awe of her powers. Especially now as he watched the wound slowly heal. It took Ginny longer than she had with the men but after ten minutes her skin was closed. Only the angry red scar reminded him of the wound that had been there.

With a groan he heard Ginny fell back on the cot. Her soft breathing told him she was sleeping again. He understood the magic she used had taken away the last of her energy. He pulled the blanket over her again and left the room to see what was going on as he was sure she would sleep for a long time now.


	21. Isengard

**21\. Isengard.**

Ginny woke up in bright light. One glance through her lashes told her she wasn't in bed anymore. She was upright and in somebody's arms. She shook her head to clear it. Suddenly she noticed that she was constantly moving. She glanced down to see she was on a horse.

With a shock she sat completely up right.

"Easy." A soft voice behind her said and the arm she only now noticed tightened around her waist. "Don't move too much."

She turned her head to see the elf smiling at her.

"Welcome back to the land of the living." He said with a soft smile.

"I slept?" She asked quite stunned.

"Apparently so, though Gandalf had to confirm you were still breathing. We were very worried when you didn't even wake up when I pulled you up on the horse."

"I slept." Ginny deadpanned. "Though all this noise? Through you moving me? Through riding for how many hours?"

"Four hours to be exact. After you collapsed when you healed yourself we let you sleep for hours. I tried to wake you up when we were ready to ride out but it seemed like you were completely unconscious. Mumbling something about want to be left alone and sleep. Gandalf and King Théoden really wanted to move. They debated that they should leave you with Èowyn but Aragorn, Gimli and I didn't want to face your anger." Legolas chuckled as if he remembered some fun discussion. "I honestly thought you would wake up as soon as we carried you out of the room but you slept through it all."

Ginny thought about what she remembered. She remembered the pain in her leg and that she tried to heal it. She couldn't even remember if she had succeeded. Based on the pain that she wasn't feeling she guess it had healed but it had taken a lot from her.

"I guess I used up too much energy." She whispered.

"It's okay. You did a lot before collapsing. Everybody needs to sleep sometimes." Legolas told her with a smile.

She nodded and looked around properly. She was sitting in front of Legolas. Gimly was riding on her horse. He nodded friendly at her. Behind them, the man she knew to be Èomer. He looked like Éowyn. She looked around for Éowyn but couldn't find her.

"Where is Éowyn?" She asked.

"The shieldmaiden is leading her people back to Edoras."

"I guess Éowyn wasn't too happy about that charge." Ginny muttered. The soft chuckle from Legolas behind her confirmed her statement.

Ginny continued to look around. They were riding through a forest. It's had the same old feeling as Fangorn forest but she was pretty sure that Fangorn wasn't just a few hours on a horse away from Helm's deep. More a few days.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"I think we are close to Isengard." Gimli said as he rode up next to them.

"But you aren't sure?"

"No. The forest has moved." He muttered.

"Yes I remember that. Moving trees!" Ginny sighed as she shook her head. Legolas laughed out loud. To Ginny it was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard. Like the song of the birds on a fresh spring morning. It was soothing and enjoyable at the same time.

As Legolas's laugh died Ginny heard new laughter. In the far distant she heard happy voices. Gandalf lead the group past a thick set of smaller trees. An opening revealed a broken wall with on top off it two young Hobbits. The two hobbits were eating and drinking while having great fun.

Ginny was happy to see the two Hobbits in good condition but watching them reminded her of her brothers. The way Merry and Pippin interacted was very similar to how Fred and George behaved. Memories of the twins lingered in her mind and caused a massive amount of pain. Never again would she see her brothers joking around again. The only thing that lifted her spirit was that they were together where ever they were.

"Welcome, my Lords and lady, to Isengard." Merry spoke loudly and slightly tipsy.

"You young rascals! A merry hunt you've led us on, and now we find you, feasting and smoking." Gimli growled at them.

"We are sitting on a field of victory, enjoying a few well-earned comforts. The salted pork is particularly good." Pippin defended himself.

"Salted pork!" Gimli yelped.

"We're under orders, from Treebeard, who's taken over management of Isengard."

Ginny groaned and close her eyes. More talking trees! Legolas tightened his arm a little bit around her but didn't ask for an explanation.

"Come young Hobbits!" Gandalf called them down. "Let's find Treebeard."

Merry and Pippin gathered their food and pipes before climbing down the wall. Gandalf quickly directed them to ride with Éomer and Gimli. Carefully they started to make their way through the water and towards the creepy looking tower that stood in the center of a large empty circle.

Ginny looked around her. "Merlin!" she muttered as she saw the destruction the trees had caused. Her shock was increased by the fact that there were many of these walking and talking trees. "Bloody hell."

"Burarum ... Young Master Gandalf. I'm glad you've come. Wood and water, stock and stone, I can master, but there's a Wizard to be managed here ... locked in his tower." The voice of Treebeard fell over them.

Ginny was happy that she wasn't the only one in a state of shock. Éomer, Hama and the rest of the guard were just as pale with shock as she was. She was sure they had never seen this strange type of trees before.

"And there Saruman must remain, under your guard, Treebeard." Gandalf answered.

"Let's just have his head and be done with it." Gimli growled. Though it was Ginny's thought exactly, in her heart she wasn't a killer. She never ever wanted to be the one that could kill but a living dark wizard was a dangerous wizard. Maybe too dangerous to be allowed to live.

"No. He has no power any more." Gandalf muttered to them.

"The filth of Saruman is washing away ... Trees will come back to live here, young trees ... wild trees." Treebeard said as he seemed to agree with Gandalf.

While Ginny did trust that assessment she knew one's powers couldn't be just washed away by water. Not even in this world.

"A dark wizard alive will always be a dangerous one, Gandalf. Think before you decide, please." Ginny spoke up.

Galdalf's eyes met hers. The piercing blue filled with unanswered questions. Ginny wondered if he was finding answered in her dark brown.

"I will, Ginevra, don't worry."

Ginny nodded but still worried as they rode up to the tower. As she was sitting in front of Legolas she had a good view of the tower but she didn't see the wizard.

"Show yourself." Aragorn growled as they stopped at a safe distance from the tower.

"Be careful. Even in defeat, Saruman is dangerous." Gandalf told him.

"Well then let's just have his head and be done with it." Gimli echoed his thoughts.

Ginny turned her head around to see what Legolas thought. He was normally the most reasonable from the men. However his eyes were only on the tower. Carefully scanning it for any danger.

"No, we need him alive. We need him to talk." Gandalf ordered.

It was silent for a few seconds. An eerie air hung around them as they waiting for the wizard to show himself. Ginny didn't like it one bit. She realized that she was completely depended on Legolas as long as she was on his horse. She couldn't move quickly enough if danger would come for her.

"Legolas, please let me down." She whispered. He looked down at her and shook his head.

"Your leg won't be strong enough yet." He whispered back.

"That's a lot of bull." Ginny muttered angrily. She tried to get down but he held her firmly on the horse. After a short struggle Ginny gave in. She didn't want to use any magic against her friends and was still too tired to struggle on. Though she was royally pissed off. "Fine have it your way than. You'll be sorry when my magic is needed and I couldn't move fast enough."

Suddenly a loud voice sounded around them.

"You have fought many wars and slain many men Théoden King and made peace afterwards. Can we not take counsel together as we once did, my old friend? Can we not have peace you and I?"

Ginny looked up to the tower and saw a wizard robed in white. Behind him stood Snape's little brother. The traitor.

A glance at Théoden told her that he was very angered by the words of the wizard. He sputtered a few times before finding the words he wanted to say against the wizard.

"We shall have peace…." The king yelled. "We shall have peace when you answer for the burning of the Westfold and the children that lie dead there! We shall have peace when the lives of the soldiers whose bodies were hewn even as they lay dead against the gates of the Hornburg… are avenged! When you hang from a gibbet for the sport of your own crows… we shall have peace!" Théoden finished. He was close enough for Ginny to reach over and place a hand on his shoulder. She softly squeezed it in support. Théoden gave her a soft controlled smile but his eyes never felt Saruman.

"Gibbets and crows! Dotard! What do you want Gandalf Grahame? Let me guess… the key of Orthanc? Or perhaps the keys of Barad Dûr itself? Along with the crowns of the seven Kings and the rods of the Five Wizards!" Saruman said. He sounded a lot more hostile.

Ginny took her wand and slowly raised it. Ready to defend or attack. Which ever was needed first.

"Your treachery has already cost many lives. Thousands more are now at risk. But you could save them Saruman. You were deep in the enemy's counsel." Gandalf answered.

"Always diplomatic." Ginny muttered darkly. She had a feeling where this was going and she didn't like it one bit.

"So you have come here for information. I have some for you." Saruman spoke. He raised something that he held in his hand. To Ginny it looked like a ball but it was solid and looked like glass, something a seer would use but not that much similar to those back home. There was something weird about it.

"Something festers in the heart of Middle Earth. Something that you have failed to see. But the great eye has seen it! Even now he presses his advantage. His attack will come soon." Saruman continued. It sounded much like the old cock Trelawney told over and over again.

"It's bullshit." Ginny muttered but Gandalf didn't listen to her. Instead he rode forward.

"You are all going to die! But you know this don't you Gandalf? You cannot think that this Ranger will ever sit upon the throne of Gondor. This exile, crept from the shadows will never be crowned King." Saruman's words made Aragorn flinch.

"Don't listen to him, Aragorn. He is speaking bullshit." Ginny hissed.

"Gandalf does not hesitate to sacrifice those who are closest to him… those he professes to love! Tell me, what words of comfort did you give the Halfling before you sent him to his doom? The path that you have set him on can only lead to death."

"And that's enough!" Ginny yelled at the wizard as she finally lost her patience with him. She pointed her wand and silenced him. He moved his mouth but no sound came from it. It would have been funny if the situation weren't so serious. "Don't listen to that demented idiot. He is only scaring you." Ginny raised her wand again, ready to curse the old cock to the next millennium.

"No! Come down Saruman and your life will be spared!" Gandalf said before turning to Ginny. "Please lift the spell. We need him to talk."

Ginny nodded and flicked her wrist.

"Save your pity and your mercy. I have no use for it!" Saruman yelled at them. Just in time Ginny saw he was attacking them with magic. A bolt of fire shot towards them, the first one at Ginny and the second at Gandalf. She reacted on instinct and raised her strongest shield. The result wasn't what she had expected. It did stop the curse but also the staff in Saruman's hand completely exploded. Everybody glanced at her in shock but she just shrugged. She was past caring anyway with this wizard.

Seconds later the snake like man appeared behind Saruman again. Ginny wasn't sure if he had been gone or if she just hadn't noticed him for a while.

"Grima! You need not follow him! You were not always as you are now. You were once a man of Rohan. Come down." Théoden called.

Saruman couldn't help himself and sneered at the King. Ginny wondered in shock once more how similar her world was to this one. Surely this man was similar to a Malfoy. That sneer was perfected by the Malfoy's.

"A man of Rohan? What is the house of Rohan but a thatched barn where brigands drink in the reek and their brats roll on the floor with the dogs? The victory at Helms Deep does not belong to you Théoden Horse Master. You are a lesser son of greater sires!"

"Grima…. Come down! Be free of him!" Théoden spoke. He gave no indication he had heard Saruman but the wizard spoke again.

"Free? He will never be free!"

"No!" Grima roared. It was the first time that he spoke up for himself. Saruman turned around to Grima!

"Get down cur!" The wizard growled and slapped the man to the ground.

"Saruman! You were deep in the enemy's counsel. Tell us what you know!" Gandalf called.

Saruman turned around and looked down while thinking of what to answer. Ginny noticed that Grima pulled a knife out behind Saruman. He slowly stalked towards the wizard. She raised her wand but wasn't sure what to do. The wizard was probably never going to give in. Him dead was the only option but still, Gandalf was trying.

"You withdraw your guard and I will tell you where your doom will be decided. I will not be held prisoner here!" Saruman said but before anyone could reply Grima appeared close behind Saruman and attacked him. He stabbed him twice in the back. Lightning fast Legolas shot an arrow at Grima. It was straight in the heart. It didn't do anything for Saruman. Slowly he fell from the tower and to make his death even more final he landed on a spike of a great wheel below.

Everybody fell silenced as the wheel slowly started to turn, taking with it the dying wizard under the water.

"Send word to all our allies and to every corner of Middle Earth that still stands free. The enemy moves against us. We need to know where he will strike." Gandalf said after a while. Ginny could hear the worry in his voice.

With a heavy heart she watched the water wheel turn further and Saruman disappearing completely beneath the water headfirst. The strange ball she had seen him holding in his hand dropped into the water.

"The filth of Saruman is washing away. Trees will come back to live here." Treebeard said again. "Young trees. Wild trees."

A yell from Aragorn drew their attention away from the strange tree.

"Pippin!"

They all watched as the small hobbit picked up the ball that Saruman had held. Ginny now saw that it really was similar to those glass balls they had used for divination. The only difference was that this ball wasn't see-through. She wasn't sure what she saw but it wasn't nothing.

Pippin seemed to be taken by the orb as well. He just gazed into it.

"Bless my bark!" Treebeard spoke in shock.

"Peregrin Took. I'll take that my lad! Quickly now!" Gandalf commanded. Ginny looked at the old wizard. She wasn't sure why he had spoken so harshly to the hobbit. The small lad had done nothing wrong. It wasn't a deadly tool he held. It wasn't killing anybody but before she could speak the wizard took the orb from the hobbit and quickly covered it.

It confused her. Why was he treating this thing like a weapon of mass destruction?

"Come, let us get back to Edoras." The king spoke.


	22. Talking elves

**AN: I'm sorry I have been away for a long time. My old laptop died a long time ago and when it did I lost all the work I did on this story. I wasn't sure if I wanted to do all the work again but last month a friend of mine managed to save the files from my old laptop (which I couldn't do away due to sentimental reasons) so now I have all the work back and intend to finish this story.**

* * *

 **22\. Talking Elves**

Most of them agreed to return to Edoras quickly and after some rearranging of seats they left.

Ginny decided to ride her own horse again. Legolas protested, claiming she shouldn't exert herself and heal while she still could but she felt a lot better. All she had needed to properly recover from doing all that magic and the wound was food and sleep. Now she felt strong enough to ride again. During which she could have a little food to fully restore her body.

To lighten the load of the men who still hadn't rested much she offered to take one of the hobbits. Pippin was very happy with that offer. He wasn't sure that riding with Gandalf was a good thing right now and Ginny agreed. Best to keep the cheerful hobbit away from the grumpy old wizard.

The first stop on their way back to Edoras was at the edge of a forest. Everybody was tired and needed some sleep. Ginny offered to take the first watch as she had slept the whole road to Isengard.

"I'm not tired and I'll be able to defend us with my magic." She said to Théoden when he argued with her. He realized that he had no argument against that but only gave in when Haldir and Legolas offered to take the watch with her.

"The camp is too big for one person to protect them all. We'll help" Haldir quickly explained as Ginny started to look angered.

"He is right, Ginevra." Gandalf said.

With that all her arguments were wiped away. Which made her less than happy. While there was truth in her reasoning about her taking the the first watch, secretly she had a second reason. Her head had been full of strange thoughts. Especially since the battle at Helm's Deep, her mind felt chaotic and unfocused. It was in the battle that she had started to realize that she really didn't want to lose these new friends. Especially not the elf, whom had taken care of her and whom she had fought side by side with.

All in all her feelings and thoughts confused her and she needed time to sort through it. She had hoped on a chance to think but it seemed that with all these protective men around she would have to wait for the privacy of her room at Edoras.

"Alright." She nodded and started her walk around the camp. She wanted to scout to see where enemies could easily come from. To her pleasant surprise bot Legolas and Haldir refrained from following. Perhaps they understood that she needed a while alone.

Later that night after the chaos in her head had calmed down she, Haldir and Legolas sat by a campfire in comfortable silence. Ginny stared off in the fire. The red flames made her think about the battle and how she had felt when the sword of Gryffindor came to her. The red haze that clouded her thoughts and the fiery feeling in her muscles. It had been a magical feeling. She felt reckless, strong and invincible but also better trained, better prepared. She suddenly knew how to wield a sword. It was like it had been a part of her body.

Haldir broke through her thoughts with a strange question.

"Could you tell me a bit about the world you came from?" He asked.

"How do you know?" She asked suspiciously. Not many people knew she came from another world. She knew Gandalf had told Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas. She also suspected that Théoden knew about her origin but she hadn't confirmed or denied anything. Besides those people she had never told anybody.

"Lady Galadrial knows a lot about you. She told me what and what not to expect from you." Haldir said.

"Who is this Lady Galadrial?"

"She is the lady of the Golden Forest of Lothlorien. She is one with the sight. Wise and old. She is seen as the elven queen of all." Legolas explained.

Ginny was slightly hesitant about the fact that this lady Galadrial seemed to be a seer. She didn't really trust a seer. She reasoned that maybe in this world it would be different. Maybe not everybody who claimed to see the future was a fraud.

"Lady Ginevra?" Haldir tried again.

"Oh. Yes." She shook herself out of her thoughts. "About my world…" It was still very painful to think about her world. It felt so raw. Though her dream of meeting with Hermione had taken away the really sharp edge of the wound. It was like that moment had healed the wound slightly. "My world is very different than here." She started. "Uhm… the way humans live here is like they would have lived at least a thousand years ago in my world." She decided to go for the general explanation not the painful specifics. "We would have called that the middle ages. I have wondered if that was when our worlds separated or something, because this world is named Middle Earth."

"You mean that this is the past of your world? That you came from the future?" Legolas asked.

"I don't know for sure but maybe. Time travelling in my world isn't common but not unheard off. Yet never this far back. I think it's more likely that in the past our world separated by some strange power. Maybe something messed up with time and created a separate world where times flows differently." Ginny mused. "But that's just theorizing. A lot of wizards studied the flows of times and theorized about these things. I don't know for sure."

"How is your world different now?" Haldir asked.

"Well, there are many more humans in the world. You cannot travel for very long without seeing other humans. Non-magical people live in many different ways but the majority like in large cities. They have advanced technology that as a witch I can barely understand.

For the most we magical people live completely separated from the non-magicals. We are still living in the past. Sort off. We are a bit old fashion so to say. While muggles, non-magic folk, created means to get things done without magic, we stayed in a time that fit our way of live best."

Ginny thought for a second how to explain things even more.

"The muggles have created something that is called Electricity. It makes things move on its own. Like a cart without a horse. You can just sit in it, move your feet and it will move on its own."

Indeed both Haldir and Legolas looked really confused.

"It's so difficult to explain with out showing it to you." Ginny mused. "It would be nice to show you my memories of that."

"That wouldn't be possible." Haldir said.

"In my world it was possible. We have an object called a pensive. It allows storing memories and showing them to other people. I wish I had one here. It would be useful."

Both elves looked slightly shocked and Ginny decided not to tell them about Occlumency and especially not Legimency. She wasn't sure they would take it lightly that she was able to break into their thoughts. "Anyway, I can't show you two anything now. Maybe in the future."

Both men nodded and looked at her for a while. Ginny could see the many questions in their eyes. She was sure they didn't voice them because they were personal and probably about her life back home. Still after a while she began to feel uncomfortable with the intensity of their gaze.

"Tell me a bit about the elf society? About your lives?" She asked.

"What do you want to know?" Legolas immediately asked.

"Everything…" she answered. "If I'm stuck in this world, survive the war and decide to make this my home I'd rather like to know what I sign up for." She explained. "I know you, Legolas are the prince of Mirkwood but what does that mean for you? And you, Haldir, I don't know much about you. Only that Aragorn said you were the marchwarden."

Legolas and Haldir looked at each other for a second before turning back to Ginny.

"Well, we are both the heads of our army's. As the Mirkwood prince I normally lead a large company to ensure our safety."

"Who is doing that now?"

"My father. He took up his old spot. He has been complaining about it but in truth he loves it."

"For me it's slightly the same. As Marchwarden I'm responsible for the safety of the Golden Forest and Caras Galadhon, our main city. I'm responsible for organizing patrols, training new warriors and selecting the lady's guard." Haldir explained carefully.

"Wow, that's a lot of responsibility." Ginny breathed. She felt in awe of the two elves in front of her.

"We should walk a patrol." Legolas murmured. They got up and slowly walked around the camp. Ginny felt it was safe enough to continue the conversation.

"How about at your home, what does it looks like. What about your family?" She asked the two men.

"Mirkwood used to be a beautiful forest called Greenwood but when Sauron slowly regained power darkness slowly took the woods. Big spiders threatened every move we made. They killed quite a few before we decided it wasn't save to be out anymore. Now we live inside. It's not good to be cut off from nature. For my family…well it's just my father and me. My father did foster two girls who I see as my sisters. They are older than me, so they doted on me a lot."

"Your mother?" She asked carefully.

"My mother died a long, long time ago. She was a wise and loving mother. It still feels like yesterday that she died but we have learned to live with her loss. My father changed after that. Once this war is over he'll go the Valinor."

"I'm sorry." She muttered.

"It's okay." Legolas said with a soft smile.

"What about you, Haldir?"

"My parents sailed to Valinor when I was still very young. They couldn't live with the dangers in this world and wanted the peace. My brothers and I were ambitious. I wanted to be marchwarden ever since my father took me on one of his patrols. My brothers, Rumil and Orophin, are both warriors as well. They lead our army now I'm here."

"Are your brothers like you?" Ginny asked.

"No, not at all. Rumil is the housefather. He is bonded and is planning on having a family. Or at least they are trying. He is serious about his job but isn't really ambitious like me. Even though I'm older than him, he always seems to be taking care of me. Orophin is the young one. He doesn't take anything seriously. He is a charmer and has an elleth on each finger. He is a good brother and know how to keep me on my toes."

"What about you, are you… bonded, is that what you call it? Being together with a wife?"

"Yes, we elves call it a bonding. I know the men call it marriage." Haldir nodded.

"Are you?" Ginny pressed.

"No. I don't have the time to focus on an elleth or even a family. I'm bonded to my work… or at least that's what Rumil's wife says."

Ginny laughed softly at Haldir's expression. He seemed uncomfortable talking about this all.

"What about you, Legolas? Do you have an… elleth at home waiting for you?" She tried to speak their language. She was sure she didn't pronounce it completely correctly but Legolas did give her a soft nod for trying.

"No, I haven't found the right lady for me yet."

"How come? You have been around for so many years and being a prince and devastatingly handsome should help you get any lady you want." Ginny pointed out. To her utterly surprise and glee she noticed that Legolas blushed slightly.

"You sound like my sisters." He muttered. Making Ginny laugh even louder. "It isn't for their lack of trying to get me an elleth. They and my father have introduced me to about every free elleth in Middle Earth."

"And there was nobody to your taste?" Ginny asked a bit skeptical.

"You should understand that elves bond for life. We fall in love only once and that elf or in some cases human will be their mate or partner for the rest of their existence. No one accepts a bonding easily. Also elflings can only be born out of true love. So nobody settles for anything less than their true mate." Haldir explained quickly saving Legolas from potential embarrassment.

"So you don't have dates and flings?"

"We have our carnal needs and it's normal for unbounded elves to give into them with an elleth or ellon they trust. Until they find their true mate." Haldir told her. "There is no real emotion behind it, only the soothing of carnal needs."

Ginny nodded before turning to Legolas.

"I'm sorry. It's probably really hard for you to be alone for such a long time. I shouldn't have pushed it."

Legolas placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it softly.

"It's okay. It's only hard when I'm at home and my sisters constantly question me about it."

"That's what sisters are for. Who else would keep the menfolk on their toes." Ginny shrugged. The elves laughed at her comment and in a companionable silence they continued their walk around the camp. After a while Ginny thought of another question.

"What about Aragorn? The jewel he wears is very feminine and the look in his eyes… he looks haunted and hurt." She whispered. Knowing that the elves would hear her.

"The jewel he wears is the Evenstar. It was a gift to him by Arwen of Rivendell." Haldir said.

"What happened to her?" Ginny asked as she sensed a love story gone horribly wrong.

"Nothing. If I know her as I think I know her, she is still in Rivendell waiting for Aragorn to return." Legolas said with a small smirk.

"Than why does he look so haunted?" Ginny asked confused. "I feel he is missing his love terribly."

"He does. Their story is a complicated one. Aragorn doesn't find himself worthy of her love but as I told you an elf only loves once. With the pendant Arwen gave him her heart and her immortality. Though he accepted the pendant, Aragorn told Arwen to go to the undying lands so she can be safe. He rather wants her safe than the slight possibility she would be hurt. Besides that Arwen's father, the lord of Rivendell only accepts Aragorn as his daughter's husband if he takes up the throne of Gondor."

Ginny continuously shook her head. She understood the explanation so far.

"He really needs to learn to let her make her own decision. Only trouble comes from men making decisions for those they love." She said.

"Arwen will make her own choices. She always has. She is more stubborn than Gimli." Legolas told her. "Only Aragorn and Elrond don't really know this yet. Or don't want to know it. They just pretend they can make her do what they want."

They sat down at the fire again. This time Ginny sat down next to Legolas as she was listening to his story about Arwen. Together with Haldir, he told her about the elf Aragorn deeply loved. She understood why Aragorn looked so haunted. She was sure the look was similar to what her eyes looked like when she thought off Harry.

She missed him. During the battle of Helm's Deep she kept searching for the leader Harry was. She only found Aragorn. He was a true leader, just like Harry had been. And when she needed the emotional strength Harry had provided she found Legolas.

Fighting side by side with Harry was everything she had expected it to be. He had been a strong leader. Capable of leading his friends through the dangers and the emotional heartache battles caused. He had been there to support her, to encourage her, to push her until he was sure she would survive.

Back at Helm's deep she had felt that same drive coming from Aragorn and Legolas. They both had pushed her to survive and fight with everything she had. She really had fought for them.

"Ginny?" Legolas pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Yes." She said as she looked up at him. She noticed that Haldir was gone. She spotted him a short distance away, walking a new patrol.

"That sword? The one you fought with at Helm's deep?" Legolas carefully started.

"Godric's sword?" she asked surprised. "It only appears to a true Gryffindor. In a time of need it comes to him or her." She explained.

"Can I have a look at it?"

"Oh, sure."

Ginny reached behind her and pulled her backpack to her. After a little search through the extended pack she found the sword and pulled it out.

"Here." She said as she turned the handle towards him. He took it with a skilled hand and swung it through the air. It almost sounded like the blade was singing.

"This is elven made." He stated as he ran his hand over the text on the blade.

"That's impossible. In my world there are no elves like you. According to Harry it was Goblin made. They are the real crafts men of my world."

"How old is this sword?" Legolas asked.

"Nobody really knows. Legend says it was made by Ragnuk the first. The lord of the goblins. Godric Gryffindor, one of the most powerful and famous wizards of the past wielded it in battle but nobody knows how it came to be in his possession. After Gryffindor died it has been lost for a long time."

Legolas nodded and continued inspecting the sword. Ginny watched in silence as he carefully ran his long fingers over the red stone that was set in the handle.

"This stone is the same as the pendant Haldir gave you. It holds the light of Carnil. I'm really sure that this blade was made by the elves or at least the early elves that roamed the world. This blade is older than you think. It feels older."

"Legolas, how can that be possible? How can it be the sword of Gryffindor in my world while it has been created in this world?"

"I don't know, Mellon nín. I honestly don't know." Legolas said as he gave her the sword back. "Once this is all over I'll take you to somebody who might know. Maybe Lady Galadrial can give you some answers."

"That would be nice." Ginny nodded.

The rest of the night passed slowly. Haldir returned from his patrol and together the three of them talked about the battle of Helm's deep and Ginny answered some of Haldir's questions about her magic. She asked them to teach her some elfish. They did with patience but it was more difficult than she had thought. By sunrise she knew only a few words.

Ginny stretched her back as she got up to get ready for the ride to Edoras. She looked out over the camp from her slightly elevated watch spot and smiled a little. For the first time since she had been in Middle Earth she felt okay. She wasn't constantly reminded of her loss and the pain wasn't as overwhelming as it was before. It was like her dream of meeting with Hermione had been the start of her healing process. It had her a bit more at ease with the idea of surviving in this world.

After a quick breakfast they made their way to Edoras. Pippin rode with her again. He seemed to enjoy it more than with Gandalf. Ginny rode next to Legolas and Haldir at the back of the group. They talked a bit more about Middle Earth. Pippin hadn't been outside the Shire before so he was just as interested as she was in the customs of the big folk.

It wasn't until midday that she grew very tired. Staying awake all night and the little sleep she had over the last week were taking their toll on her. She hoped that she could sleep once they were at Edoras.

They reached the town later that afternoon. Ginny spotted Èowyn waiting in front of the Golden Hall. Ginny hadn't expected anything else from the Shield Maiden. In fact Ginny had been surprised that she wasn't with them. She was sure that Èowyn hadn't let them leave without a fight.

Once inside the walls a group of stable workers rushed forward to help them off the horses and make sure the horses were taken care off. Ginny groaned as she slid of her horse. Her muscles started to hurt and she felt closer to eighty than to eighteen.

"Are you alright, Lady Ginny?" Pippin asked.

"Just tired and a bit sore still from the battle." She answered to the concerned Hobbit. "I'll be fine after some rest and a bath."

Pippin nodded and walked with her towards the king and Gandalf.

"Tonight we will have a feast to honor those who have given their life for our victory." Théoden announced. "Take the time now to bath and rest. Tonight I will expect all of you."

Ginny sighed in relieve. She was looking forward to a long hot bath and a few hours of sleep. She followed the men up the steps and into the hall. Without a word she left the group for her private room that Èowyn had given her.

Without undressing or removing her wand from her wrist strap she fell onto the bed. She was too tired to stand up. Internally she was cursing herself for offering the night guard last night. She should have known that she wasn't recovered enough from the use of too much magic. She was so terribly tired now. She fell asleep quickly. She was too tired to dream. Just blissfully empty.

Her sleep didn't last long. After what felt like minutes a knock on her door woke her up.

"Dammit!" She grumbled.

Again a knock echoed through the room.

"Lady Ginevra?" She heard a woman call. It wasn't Èowyn.

"Yes, come in!" She groaned loudly and turned to a more comfortable position. An elderly woman walked in. She was followed by two strong men. They were carrying a bath filled with water.

"Lady Èowyn asked me to check up on you and bring you a hot bath. Your companions are worried about you. What should I tell them?" she explained.

"Oh… I was just trying to sleep. Can't they be without me for just a few minutes." She groaned.

"They have been searching for you for over an hour. It wasn't until the hobbit said that you were tired that Lady Èowyn found you here." She explained.

"An hour?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, if you went to bed immediately after you arrived than you have been sleeping for two hours already." The woman told her as she hushed the men out of the room. "Lady Èowyn sends me to wake you up. The party will start at sunset. That's just an hour away from now."

"Oh… it felt like I slept for just a few minutes." Ginny said with a blush.

"That's okay, milady. No harm done yet but you need to get ready. I have a dress for you here." The woman held out a soft grey colored dress with dark red stitching and the same color belt.

"That's beautiful." Ginny whispered.

"Thank you. I made it for lady Èowyn when she was about your age."

"It's really pretty. I'm honored to wear something like that." Ginny said as she got up.

A few minutes later the woman left the room to inform the others that Ginny was awake and would join them soon.


	23. Honors for the Dead

**23\. Honors for the Dead.**

Legolas was worried. More worried than he had felt in a long time and more worried than he'd liked to admit. He had been looking for the little witch all around the town but he couldn't find her. He made his way back up the stairs with a deep frown marked his head as he thought about the young woman. _Where was she_?

" **What is worrying you, my friend**?" He heard somebody asked from behind him. He turned around to see the Ranger hurrying up the steps.

" **Lady Ginevra**." Legolas answered softly.

" **What about her**?"

" **I cannot find her. I have not seen her since we entered the city**." Legolas explained. " **I have been looking for her everywhere**."

" **Perhaps she is with Èowyn. They were getting ready for the party**." Aragorn said with a grimace. Legolas knew Aragorn found the idea of a party for the death disgusting but it was how the men of the Rohirrim honored their dead and he would be there.

" **Lady Èowyn has not seen her either. I have already asked her**." Legolas knew he sounded worried and he was. He had noticed that Ginny had been growing tired as the day progressed. Her attention to their stories had faltered after a while and he had even seen her eyes slowly closing a few times. He had wondered if she was suffering from her wound again. Or maybe it was the magic she had used that exhausted her.

He had gone searching for her to make sure she got some rest. He had thought that maybe if he offered to sing her to sleep again she could rest without the nightmares.

" **She'll be alright, my friend. I'm sure she is somewhere resting**." Aragorn said as he placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Together they walked back to the Golden Hall. Legolas kept glancing around in to hope to spot the red head. He looked around the tables that had been pulled into the hall so that everybody could sit and eat during the party but he couldn't find her.

"What's gotten you worried?" Somebody asked besides him. He looked down to see Pippin looking up at him. The young hobbit was already holding a tankard of ale.

"I was looking for Lady Ginevra but I can't find her anywhere."

"Oh." Pippin said with a worried glance. Suddenly he looked at Legolas again. "After we got off the horse she was really tired. She said she would be fine after a few hours of sleep."

Legolas nodded and went to look for Èowyn. He found the Shieldmaiden at the end of the hall organizing the food and drinks for the party.

"My lady." He said with a soft bow.

"My lord Legolas. Did you find lady Ginevra?"

"No, but I think she is sleeping in the room you gave her when we first arrived. Will you please look there for her? It won't be appropriate if I just walked in."

"Of course. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Legolas nodded and watched Èowyn disappear at the far end of the hallway. With over two thousand years of gaining patience he waited for her to return. Aragorn joined him in his waiting. Legolas could see that his friend had many comments but bit them all back.

Èowyn returned quickly. "She is indeed sleeping, my lord. Do you want me to wake her?"

Legolas let out a sigh of relieve.

"No let her sleep for now. Maybe you could have one of the maids wake her up an hour before the party." He answered quickly.

"Of course." Lady Èowyn nodded.

The party didn't start until a few hours later. Assured that Ginny was okay and resting Legolas joined Aragorn for a walk around the city. Aragorn didn't say much and left Legolas to his own thoughts. Which wasn't necessarily a good or a bad thing.

He kept thinking about Ginny, about how she fought in the battle of Helms deep and about how she seemed be more alive. He thought she was growing more and more into the person she used to be before her loss. She just didn't seem constantly depressed anymore.

Why she was on the front of his thoughts so much he didn't know, nor could he describe his feelings for her. Somehow he felt connected to her, like he had known her for a long time. Maybe it was the way she interacted with all of them that brought forth the feelings of a deep friendship and familiarity.

In middle Earth a lady wouldn't be so free and open with men. Normally ladies would be humble, quiet and only educated ones would speak their mind and never really freely. Any kind of physical contact or even emotional closeness between man and woman would be strictly controlled until the bonding ceremony out of fear of being labeled in a negative way.

Ginny was different in every way. She was very well educated, kind, humble but strong and opinionated. She spoke up when she disagreed with them. She would argue with Théoden when she thought he was being stupid. Most noticeable she didn't mind physical contact; in fact she seemed to desire it, even if it was just a friendly pat on the back. Nor did she mind to do the brutal work of war. She had barely blinked when she let her spells hit the enemy.

All these small things made him like the little witch a lot. There was not one part of her that he disliked. He wondered if her openness and boldness was the the reason she was always on his mind? He guessed not but admitting the probable cause was… maybe not yet desired.

"If you think any harder your brain might boil over." Aragorn softly commented. Confused the elf looked up at the Ranger. The man was smiling at him and had a knowing look in his eyes.

"The young witch is really getting to you, is she not?" Aragorn commented.

"I don't know what you are talking about?" It was Legolas immediate reaction. He wasn't sure if he wanted to have others invading into what he considered a very private matter. Though, he should have known that his companions wouldn't be blind to his turmoil. Especially not his close friend.

"You do." Aragorn said convinced. "Legolas, I speak to you, as a friend. I can see it. You are drawn to her and understandably so. Ginny is strong, smart, funny and very powerful. Not to mention absolutely beautiful. I can really understand why a male of any race would be drawn to her."

Legolas sighed, he knew that it was no use denying it. Aragorn knew him better than his own father.

"You're right. Ginny is all that but still…"

"There is no 'but' Legolas. I don't say you should bond with her right here and now but do not hide it from her or yourself. Only hurt will come from it."

"Even if I felt something more for her than just friendship, which I'm not sure yet that I do,"

"You do, everybody can see it." Aragorn interrupted. Legolas just shook his head and continued.

"Than there is still the issue of Ginny's feelings. She had made it quite clear that she lost the love of her life in the battle that scarred her so badly. Her heart is broken and I am not sure it is repairable."

Aragorn was silent for a few minutes as they walked on. After a while he spoke again.

"She can recover from this broken heart. Her spirit is still very much in one piece and the darkness of loss has not completely taken her. It will take time, patience and a lot of love, my friend." Aragorn said as he looked Legolas straight in the eyes. Clearly communicating that a big part of that love should come from the elf. "Just remember that with what is going on time can be short."

With that Aragorn walked back to the Golden Hall, leaving a more confused elf behind.

G&L&G&L&G&L&G

Ginny watched as Èowyn handed a cup of liquor to her uncle. The golden hall was packed full with people to celebrate the lives of those who died in the battle for Helm's deep.

"Tonight we remember those who gave their blood to defend this country." Theoden spoke loudly. He raised his cup. "Hail the victorious dead"

"Hail!" The hall called back. Ginny raised her cup with wine as well. Not remembering the fallen at Helms Deep but those who fell at Hogwarts. She really hadn't had the chance to honor them. Up until now everything about the battle of Hogwarts had been too painful. While it still was painful she knew it was a good thing to honor them.

A tear escaped her shining eyes as she remembered the defenders of Hogwarts and drank the wine in their honor. She understood that she was slowly coming to accept what had happened but it didn't make it any easier. The wound was still open. Not as raw as it had been but still painful.

A soft hand brushed the tear away before she could.

"Tonight is to celebrate their lives not to mourn their loss." Legolas whispered softly in her ear.

"I understand the need to honor their sacrifice but I don't understand how they can be smiling about the death of people they cared about when it happened just two days ago." She whispered with a shudder.

"It isn't easy to explain. You know that the king grieved the loss of his son greatly. You were there for that. All the people of Rohan will grieve deeply for their loss. However they believe that once a person lived noble and fought bravely they will be allowed in the halls of their fathers. There their spirit will celebrate their lives and be in the presence of honored people."

"But they still feel the hurt?"

"Of course. They will feel it for a long time but they will always know that their loved ones are alright and that they will meet them again."

"It's so hard to see it like that when you still feel so much pain because they died."

"You'll always feel the loss but with time the pain will get less and then you'll be able to remember all the good things and happy memories." Legolas said kindly.

"I hope you are right." Ginny sighed.

Legolas squeezed her hand softly in support and let go quickly. Èomer approached them and informed them that Gimli had challenged the elf in a drinking game. Legolas glanced at Ginny to see if she was okay, when she nodded he joined Èomer.

Ginny walked around the hall, mainly in the shadows watching the people of Rohan getting drunk in celebration of the hero's who had fallen. After a while she almost literally bumped into Théoden.

"Oops." She whispered as she stopped in time to avoid collision.

"Oh, Lady Ginevra, I did not see you in the shadows. Why aren't you in the light dancing and celebrating? A young lady like you should be able to find many men willing to dance with you."

Ginny couldn't keep from blushing at the king's kind words.

"Honestly, I have difficulty understanding why you all are celebrating like this. I lost so many I loved just recently and I can't seem to find it in me to think about them at all, let alone celebrate them. It hurts too much." Ginny explained to the king. After their moment before his son funeral she felt some sort of connection with the king and didn't mind being truthful with him. She found in him somebody to share her grief, who knew a little of what she was going through.

Théoden nodded kindly at her.

"It's not easy, for non of us. But is it not better to celebrate the good times we had with those we lost and honor their sacrifice by living happily instead of spiraling in despair and pain. They gave their lives for us to live. That gift should be honored. It is a gift you cannot throw away. This party reminds us of that."

Ginny nodded it was something she could understand but doing it was much more difficult.

"Besides." Théoden continued. "They are in a much better place now as we are, free of hurt and war."

"Thank you." Ginny nodded, his words were starting to reach a place in her heart. A little bit of her wound was healed by the believe and strength she could pull from the King's words. "It's not easy but I can see the need for a celebration if you reason like that."

"Good." Théoden nodded. "Now go on and celebrate a little. You are young and tonight is for you"

Ginny left the king with a smile and new warmth in her heart. Though she had lost her family she knew that the king would always be like a wise teacher to her. Maybe a father figure to fill a little bit of that hole in her heart.

Ginny rejoined the people of Rohan and her companions when the two hobbits started to sing.

"Oh you can search far and wide, you can drink the whole town dry, but you'll never find a beer so brown, But you'll never find a beer so brown, as the one we drink in our hometown, As the one we drink in our hometown.

You can drink your fancy ales, you can drink them by the flagon, but the only brew for the brave and true,"

Pippin suddenly stopped moving and an annoyed Merry called his name loudly. Shock out of a sort of trance Pippin smiled and turned back to Merry.

"Comes from the Green Dragon!" They sang loudly and toasted loudly with their tankards.

Ginny laughed and clapped at the antics of the two hobbits. The two bowed and moved from the table as the men started to sing more rude drinking songs. Ginny sarcastically thought that they would be shocked stiff if she started to sing the drinking songs she heard Sirius sing. Sirius had a taste for the rude and crude when he sang.

She chuckled as she remembered the old marauder. It struck her that she found comfort in the fact that they were all together now. All the marauders and Harry. She was sure that with the twins there are well, who ever controlled the shots up there didn't stand a chance. It would be one massive prank war in the afterlife.

"What has you smiling my lady?" Lord Éomer asked her as he stopped in front of her.

"The antics of the Hobbits, they remind me of my brothers." She answered wistfully. She couldn't deny the longing to her family that she felt. A part of her still wanted to die and join them.

"I see, you miss them."

"A lot." Ginny nodded sadly.

"You'll see them again soon. Nobody is expecting a lady to fight with us. If you wish to you can return home." Éomer said innocently. Ginny felt her temper flare but she realized that the young lord didn't know her yet. He was probably assuming that Gandalf has asked her for aid in the battle for Rohan. Furthermore she couldn't blame him for in ignorance about her home situation. There hadn't been time to inform him properly about her origin.

"I cannot go home, Lord Éomer, my home was destroyed in a magical war. My family was taken from me by death in that same war. How I exactly came to be here I do not know but I wished to escape it all, I wanted to escape the dead and pain. Apparently the Valar had other ideas about how I should recover from my war." She said with a wry smile. Oh, the irony of it all.

"I am sorry to hear that, my lady. Losing family is always hard." Éomer said understandingly. "I honestly think war is no place for women. I would not wish the horrors onto my sister. I would do anything to shield her from it. However I can see that your magic could be very helpful in a battle. Though, it would be better to stay behind and heal the men, like you did after the battle for Helm's deep. It's more of a job for a woman."

Ginny bristled a bit but held back a snide. Instead she realized that her brothers had told her pretty much the same shortly before the battle.

"You assume we have a choice. You assume you have the choice of not letting your women fight along with you but what if you loose. What if the men fail, then, who will defend the children and the lands? What would have happened if the men lost the battle at Helms Deep? Do you think the women would not have fought till the bone to defend their children?"

Éomer looked at her in shock and confusion.

"Not all women are defenseless and innocent. While many of them won't step forward out of fear of being laughed at, each and every female in this town is willing to fight if the lives of their children depend on it. They might not know how but they will fight if that's what's fate requires of them. With these old-fashioned ideas, you only hinder the women to be able to properly defend themselves if the worst would ever happen to your men."

Éomer looked at her with fiery passion in his eyes. Ginny knew that a war was raging inside him. He knew she was right but his upbringing would not easily agree. After a minute or two his face turned kind again and the war in his head was over.

"Back where you come from, did you have a choice to fight or not?"

"No. My family made the choice many years before I was born to do what is right and not what is easy. That choice made it so that I never had a choice really. I would have been hunted down just because of my name. Even if I had a choice, it was taken from me when the leader of the light army became my love. The enemy would have used me just to get to him. Like every other creature, I would have done and given everything for love."

Éomer seemed to want to argue with her but he thought better of it as he looked around him. He seemed hesitant for a minute before returning to the conversation.

"What would have been your fate if your enemy caught you?" he asked carefully. Ginny realized that he was asking this to make sure she knew the stakes of war. It was painful to think about the war. Besides her whole life being taken away from her, some of her wounds were caused by the reality and cruelty of war. Mental wounds that still needed a lot of time to heal. Yet, she decided to answer the man in honesty. He had the right to know that this woman, at least knew what she was getting herself into.

"If I were to be lucky, a quick death with a slash of a wand and two words. Just stopping the life-force in the body. No pain, no torture, just the end. The worst that could have happened was being captured alive and without a wand. They would have tortured me until I lost my mind, we have a curse that makes you feel like every inch of your body and your insides are on fire. Even worse would have been that I kept my mind and would be used as a slave or raped by creatures darker than orcs."

Éomer looked at her in shock. Maybe because of her boldness, the use of her crude words or just the fact that she seemed to know exactly what being in a war entailed. His mouth opened and closed a few times without saying something. Ginny met his eyes and smiled kindly at him.

She stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know the stakes, Lord Éomer, I know what I am getting myself into by fighting along side my friends and your army." She said softly. After receiving small smile from Éomer she walked away.

The conversation and the memories that came along with it hurt her more than she liked to admit or show. Deciding that she needed a bit of fresh air she headed out to the balcony

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 _ **AN: let me know what you think through the reviews!**_


	24. The Palantir

**_AN: Thanks for the support and the reviews, keep them coming.  
_ I got a review stating the story was too fast paced. I'm not sure if said so before but the pace of the story is about the same as that of the movie, I'm following the script of the extended editions, only using the books for references. **

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**24\. The Palantir.**

After winning the drinking game with Gimli, Legolas was swept up in court matters. King Théoden had questions for him about how an elfish court was run, what his father was like and how he ruled a country in peril. He answered them calmly as he had been taught to do so many years ago.

Later on the king asked him about Ginny. At first he had thought that the King assumed they were bonded but after a while he realized that Théoden was interrogating him of his feelings for the young witch. Legolas had to admit being impressed by the subtlety of the king, Aragorn had been much more straight forward earlier that day.

Yet, the bond between him and Ginny had grown into something more than just good friends and he knew it. His conversation with Aragorn had made that clear to him but they weren't lovers or bonded. However he couldn't and wouldn't explain the complicated bond to the king. He simply refused to answer the more personal questions.

It was after a long conversation with Gandalf and Aragorn when he saw Ginny again. She was talking with Lord Éomer at the edge of the dancing floor. He watched from a distance as that sweet smile form on Ginny's face it reached all the way up to her eyes. She didn't often smile like that and most of the time smiles like that were directed at him.

It was unsettling when the need to get rid of Éomer made itself known in his heart. For a second all he wanted was for Éomer to disappear or die a painful death just to have Ginny only smile like that for him.

Recognizing the emotion he quickly pushed away the feelings. It would not do well to let his jealousy show in front of the whole Rohan court. He also knew that Ginny would not appreciate it if he would suddenly become possessive of her like that. He would be at the receiving end of her wand and that was not a place he ever wanted to be.

Still he was curious as to what had Ginny smile at the horse lord like that. Slowly he moved towards them to hear what they were talking about. Going by the look on Éomer's face it must be a very interesting conversation.

"Back where you come from, did you have a choice?" Legolas heard Éomer ask. He realized they were talking about Ginny's life before she came to Middle Earth.

"No. My family made the choice many years before I was born to do what is right and not what is easy. That choice made it so that I never had a choice really. I would have been hunted down just because of my name. Even if I had a choice, it was taken from me when the leader of the light army became my love. The enemy would have used me just to get to him. Like every other creature, I would have done and given everything for love" Ginny answered.

While she spoke Legolas saw the flash of pain run over her features but she held herself together. She stood tall and strong, not showing any signs of weakness even when he knew pain was pounding through her heart. He realized that Ginny was slowly getting to the point where she could talk about her losses without breaking to pieces. He couldn't help but feel proud of her. He thought she was dealing with her losses rather well now.

"What would have been your fate if your enemy caught you?" Legolas glared at the king's nephew for asking such a crude question but Ginny didn't seemed too bothered by it. She simply answered it with the same crudeness.

"If I were to be lucky, a quick death with a slash of a wand and two words. Just stopping the life-force in the body. No pain, no torture, just the end. The worst that could have happened was being captured alive and without a wand. They would have tortured me until I lost my mind, we have a curse that makes you feel like every inch of your body and your insides are on fire. Even worse would have been that I kept my mind and would be used as a slave or raped by creatures darker than orcs." Legolas listened to her answer with shock.

He wasn't shocked by the cruelness of what she described but more with the calmness she said it. It was like it didn't bother her. The only thing that countered that idea was the look in her eyes. They were solemn and showed nothing but disgust and honesty.

The jealous flared up again as he watched Ginny step forward towards Éomer and place her small hand on his arm. It was a friendly gesture but not one easily done between a man and woman of Middle Earth. Yet, Legolas knew that Ginny didn't think any of it.

"I know the stakes, Lord Éomer, I know what I am getting myself into by fighting along side my friends and your army." She said and walked away from a shocked lord.

Legolas smiled softly, he now realized that their conversation had been about Ginny's place in this war. Something that was a bit of a sore spot for the young witch. He now understood why she had been so straightforward and crude to Éomer.

He understood the upbringing of the Rohirrim well enough to know that Ginny's presence in battle bothered Éomer. The Rohirrim were above all well raised gentlemen and they wouldn't allow a woman to suffer the horrors of war. They would do anything to prevent that. Besides that they were still living by the tradition that a woman was better suited for raising and running a family. There was no battle training for the average Rohan woman.

Legolas couldn't help but feel some respect for Éomer to have the guts to talk to the little hellcat about it. It was a delicate subject and one Ginny didn't like to touch upon. He concluded that it was probably because the lord had not seen her angry yet that he had dared but Legolas knew he wouldn't have risked her wrath like that.

Ginny left the great hall through the door that lead to the balcony. At first Legolas decided to let her go alone and stay in the hall but after just a few minutes his unrest grew. Something was nagging at him. Slightly worried he headed for the balcony was well.

Outside there was no real wind just a light breeze but nothing like the normal storm-like blow that swept Rohan's planes. The quietness only added to his feeling of uneasiness. It felt foreboding and dark. He scanned the balcony for the young red-head. He found her at the end of the balcony staring at the east.

"I think he is very upset with us right now." She said softly when he stopped next to her.

"Sauron will want his revenge quickly." Legolas nodded.

"Quickly is good. The sooner it's done with the better."

"I'm sorry?" Legolas asked. He was totally confused by this woman's statement.

"Well, waiting for the ax to drop is never a good time. It's too tense and the folk gets nervous, people start to act weird. Especially when you know the end could be near. I think it's better to get it over with as quickly as possible."

Legolas looked away from her and to the east. The darkness of Mordor was spreading quickly. Sauron wasn't waiting for the battle to come to him, he was initiating it.

"I'm sure the wait won't be very long. Maybe two weeks at the most." He said as he looked back at the witch. Her eyes were locked on the east as well. "What are you thinking?" He asked as he noticed her eyes burned with anger.

"I hate dark lords. I seriously hate them. No matter in what place, earth or world, they seem to think that they are so special when in fact they are nothing but spoiled brats in need of a good spanking."

This made Legolas laugh. It was such a simple but funny remark that only a woman could make. It reminded him of his mother. She used to think like that as well. However Legolas found the comparison of Sauron with a spoiled brat something he couldn't imagine.

"You'll get a chance to tell him soon." He chuckled.

"I wonder how he will take it." The young witch snorted. "The last dark lord I met didn't take it very well to be told off."

"Once we are through this war you'll have to tell me about your adventures and funny stories. I would really love to hear them one day." Legolas said softly. He realized as he spoke what he was asking of her but it was too late to take back his words. Flinching on the inside he expected her to either get angry or get really sad and back into that depressed mood. Surprisingly she smiled slightly.

"I hope you'll have time then. The stories about my twin brothers alone will take a century."

Legolas couldn't help but smile widely at her. Maybe she was getting better more quickly now.

"It's a good thing than that I'm an elf. I have all the time in the world."

Ginny chuckled next to him. The sound made his heart feel warmer.

"Yes, that you have." She nodded. Again he watched her eyes wander to the eastern sky. "I better get back inside and sleep. I still haven't recovered from the magical exhaustion completely."

"It will be a few days at the least before we set out for battle again. You have time to rest properly."

She smiled at him again and placed a hand on his arm. It was a friendly gesture but it made him shiver slightly. He couldn't help but meet her eyes. The depth of them made him feel like he was drowning. They showed so much of her soul in that moment. "Goodnight, Legolas." She said and walked off. He couldn't say anything as he watched her walk away he was still overcome by what he had seen.

After a minute of staring at the door he shook himself out of his trance and turned back to look out over the plains. Still the witch held his thoughts. In a second he had learned more about her than in the days he had spend with her. He had seen the agonizing pain she still felt, the blackness that was still trying to swallow her but also the life in her. Her heart, her soul and the undying spirit that was as fiery as flames. He felt utterly overwhelmed by it all.

G&L&G&L&G&L&G&L

"Pippin!"

Ginny jolted upright, her hand was already snatching her wand from the cabinet besides her bed before she really woke up. Her war experience kicked in and had her on full alert the moment her feet hit the ground. She heard a stumbling in the hallway.

"No!" She heard somebody yell in distress. She immediately recognized the voice as Merry's. Pulling the tunic over her head as she rushed out to the room of the men.

"Pippin!" Merry shouted again. Ginny threw her door open and rushed the few meters to the door. "Help, Gandalf help!"

As Ginny blasted the door open, Aragorn and Legolas came racing down the hall. She moved her wand into battle position and stepped into the room. The thing she saw was quite shocking. Pippin was holding a ball of fire between his hands and seemed to suffer great pain. She stopped in her tracks, as she didn't know what to do.

Aragorn rushed past her and grabbed, rather stupidly, the fireball from Pippin. Now she saw that it was something solid she aimed her wand and as Aragorn seemed to contort in pain she fired a well-aimed banishing charm at the ball. It hit target and the ball was blasted from Aragorn's hands and smashed into the far wall.

The fire seemed to die out immediately and Ginny recognized the ball as the Palantir. She was curious about it but as Gandalf described it as a seeing-stone and having no faith in seers what so ever she didn't think it to be important enough to focus on for now.

"Fool of a Took!" She heard Gandalf yell. She turned to see Pippin lying on the floor. His small face still writhen in agony. Gandalf rushed forward and Ginny took a few steps towards them as well.

"Look at me." Gandalf said urgently as he placed his hands around the Hobbit's face.

"Gandalf, forgive me!" His eyes opened briefly but shut against the pain shortly again.

"Look at me! What did you see?"

Pippin opened his eyes and Ginny could see he was terrified.

"A tree, there was a white tree in a courtyard of stone. It was dead. The city was burning."

"Minas Tirith? Is that what you saw?" Ginny had never heard the wizard speak so urgently. He was clearly very worried about what Pippin could have seen in that stupid orb.

"I saw… I saw him! I could hear his voice in my head."

Next to her Merry sobbed softly. She turned to look at him and saw that he had tears running down his face. She wrapped her arm around him shoulder and gave him a comforting squeeze.

"And what did you tell him? Speak!"

"He asked me my name. I didn't answer. He hurt me!" Ginny's eyes widened and turned to look at the stone again. Gandalf had covered it in a blanket but she still felt the dark magic flowing from it. Apparently they were facing a very skilled and very dark opponent. She wondered if there was anything her magic could do for the free people of Middle Earth. She wasn't sure if she was powerful enough to defeat Sauron. Not on her own in anyway but even with an army of wizards and witches it seemed that Sauron wasn't going to be taken down easily.

"What did you tell him about Frodo and the Ring?"

' _The Ring_!' it snapped through her head. It wasn't like she had forgotten about it but it hadn't been on her mind regularly. Now that Gandalf mentioned it, it raised a shit load of questions. Was the destruction of the ring their only salvation? Was a Hobbit just as small as Pippin really going to save them from a powerful dark lord? Ginny groaned softly as she realized the similarities between Frodo and Harry.

She remembered the pressure that was put on Harry. It had been often too great and too overwhelming but at least Harry fought on equal ground. Both him and Voldemort could do magic. This small hobbit, who was carrying what seemed the weight of the world with him, could he do it? Even when he was so massively outnumbered and out-classified?

Ginny sighed and looked at the men again. Aragorn was still sitting on the floor he looked slightly dazed. She kneeled down next to him. Only then did she notice she was only wearing the tunic. Luckily for her it was the longer one of the two she had and rested a good two inches above her knee.

"Are you alright?"

Aragorn looked up and met her eyes.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just shaken up a little."

Ginny nodded and got up again.

"What is going on here?" Somebody asked from the door. Ginny looked up to see it was Éomer who had come to investigate the noise that was made.

Next to her Gandalf sighed and looked at the man. "Go wake, King Théoden. I'll explain this only once. We'll meet in the hall soon."

Éomer nodded and disappeared. Gandalf went back to check on Pippin but Merry was already comforting his friend. Ginny looked around her and sighed. So much for rest and sleep. She silently walked away to get dressed and ready to be at the meeting in the hall.


	25. Of men and women

**_AN: Ginny is a young seventeen almost eighteen year old woman. You'll have to excuse her feeling insecure and being prone to loosing her temper every now and then... ;) enjoy this chapter. Please review_**

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 **25\. Of men and Women**.

"There was no lie in Pippin's eyes. A fool but an honest fool he remains" Gandalf sighed as he recounted the story of what happened with the Palantir. "He told Sauron nothing of Frodo and the Ring. We've been strangely fortunate. Pippin saw in the Palantir a glimpse of the enemy's plan. Sauron moves to strike the city of Minas Tirith."

Ginny glanced at Aragorn. His face was pale and shock was still edged into his face.

"His defeat at Helm's Deep showed our enemy one thing. He knows the Heir of Elendil has come forth" Ginny saw Aragorn nodded. Looking at the man properly she noticed he was slowly growing into the realization that he was a king and that there was nothing he could do to change that. It was his fate and his responsibility.

"Men are not as weak as he supposed. There is courage still. Strength enough, perhaps, to challenge him. Sauron fears this. He will not risk the peoples of Middle Earth uniting under one banner. He will raze Minas Tirith to the ground before he sees a King return to the throne of men. If the beacons of Gondor are lit Rohan must be ready for war." Gandalf finished.

Ginny thought it was very harsh of the wizard to ask from Théoden to sacrifice his men so shortly after they won the battle for Helm's Deep. The men needed rest and time to spend with their families to regain their strength and moral. However Ginny had found out the hard way that war doesn't wait for you to be ready.

"Tell me! Why should we ride to the aid of those who did not come to ours? What do we owe Gondor?" The king asked.

"I will go." Aragorn said as he glared at Théoden.

"No." Gandalf argued.

"They must be warned!"

"They will be." Gandalf spoke loudly before leaning towards Aragorn telling him something that Ginny couldn't completely hear. "Understand this, things are now in motion that cannot be undone. I ride for Minas Tirith and I wont be going alone." Gandalf spoke out loud again. Ginny saw his eyes rested on Pippin. The small Hobbit flinched in fear as he noticed the look as well.

"Gandalf!" Ginny spoke up as the wizard walked away. She reached his side and whispered to him, "It's cruel to take the hobbit. He knows he has done wrong, you shouldn't punish him further by taking him away from his friends."

"I know Ginerva but I do not have another choice. Sauron will think that Pippin has the ring. It makes only sense to take him with me. We have to ensure that he attacks Minas Tirith, and not turn his attention to Rohan, that city has the best defenses. There we might have a chance."

"So you take an innocent Hobbit with you as bait?" She asked sharply.

"I don't see any other way. We can't have his army come here. Gondor won't answer a call for aid from Rohan and Rohan is in no state to protect itself." Gandalf sighed.

"Then take me with you. At least there are two of us to watch out for him." She argued as they walked. Gandalf suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her.

"No, Ginerva, you must stay with Théoden and Éomer. Protect the royal house of Rohan. Make sure it survives to continue the governing of this land."

Ginny glanced at Aragorn and Legolas for a second. She knew that Gandalf had whispered to Aragorn about a different path. She had heard a few words. That path was not the road the Rohan army would take. How could she protect her friends and fight with them when she was supposed to protect the king?

"Aragorn has another path he must follow." Gandalf confirmed her suspicion. "One he will know when he sees it. Legolas and Gimli will follow him but you, young Istar, your path is with the King of the Horsecountry right now. Make sure he survives." Ginny raised an eyebrow in question. "At the very least Théoden listens to you and your council. Prevent him from making stupid mistakes."

She sighed and nodded. There was no use wasting time to argue with a wizard. They were too stubborn anyway.

"Alright." She sighed. "But keep an eye on him. Pippin is too innocent to understand this war."

"I know, Ginevra and I will. You too be careful. Keep an eye on the king and his family."

Ginny nodded and let the wizard pass. She shook her head as she watched the young hobbit trying to catch up with the wizard. Poor Pippin wouldn't be so innocent anymore next time she saw him. She just hoped it wouldn't break his spirit.

Together with Merry and Aragorn she watched as Gandalf and Pippin raced away over the fields of Rohan. Lost in her thoughts she didn't hear what Merry and Aragorn were talking about. She worried about the little hobbit that was moving further and further away from them. She wondered what on earth had possessed the council to agree to take four Hobbits away from their home and place a burden on them that no war-hardened warrior could carry.

G&L&G&L&G&L&G&L&G&L

It was about an hour later that she realized that the others had already left and that she was alone. The cold wind swept through the fields and made her shiver. She turned and walked back to the great hall still thinking about everything that had happened.

She had been brought to Middle Earth for a reason and Gandalf's instructions had been clear, take care of the royal family and the people of Rohan. Apparently they would be important to the future of Middle Earth. She was to follow them into battle and make sure they came through alive. That meant that she needed to prepare for battle.

Remembering how they had prepared for the battle of Hogwarts she started to for plans in her head. She would need healing potions, lots of them. She would need a way to carry them into battle and ensure their vessels didn't break.

She would need to find a way to carry all necessities with her. All potions, foods, water, bandages and clothes needed to be carried. Not only for her but also for every men. She would ask Èowyn for ideas. For herself a backpack and a small potion pouch would be enough.

She reached into her pocket and found the shrunken form of her book. She enlarged it and flipped through the pages. She would need to study the advanced magicks that were described in this book and she would need many more sword fighting lessons. She couldn't use magic endlessly and there would be need for healing magic after the battle. So she would need to use as little as magic as possible during the battle.

When she entered the golden hall she found Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas having lunch. King Théoden and his court were nowhere in sight.

"Aragorn?"

"Yes, Ginny?"

"Can I ask you for a favor?"

"What do you need?"

"Many more sword fighting lessons." She said as she picked up an apple and took a bite.

Aragorn looked torn and shook his head.

"Ginny, this war is no place for you. You have done enough already at Helm's Deep…"

Around them everybody fell silent, both Gimli and Legolas looked at the ranger in shock. Ginny on the other hand got angry and not just a little bit. She saw red. The nerve of the man to state that she had no place in this war. After she saved so many men, she fucking saved the Marchwarden in the last battle and now Aragorn, who she was starting to see as a brother told her she had no place in this…

The red haze of anger and betrayal clouded her mind.

"DAMMIT ARAGORN!" Ginny growled loudly. Magic started to whirl around her, snapping out angrily. It made Legolas and Gimli move backwards.

"No, Ginny. Please listen, you can stay here. Stay safe!" Aragorn said. "Stay with the other women and away from the fight."

"DAMN YOU!" Ginny roared. Didn't he knew her well enough by now that she just couldn't stay and wait like a faithful house-wife. Had he already forgotten everything she had told him. "You want me to stay here? You want me to just wait patiently while you, somebody I thought was my friend, a brother, let himself get killed! HAVE YOU NOT LEARNED ANYTHING ABOUT ME! I THOUGHT YOU KNEW ME JUST A LITTLE BIT!"

The others flinched at her angry loud voice snapping like a whip. Aragorn sat back a little and was brave enough to look her in the eye.

"Ginny, women in Middle Earth just don't mingle in battle. It wouldn't be strange for you to stay behind either."

"THAT'S BECAUSE OF STUPID SEXISTIC BASTARDS LIKE YOU! And they get you as a king, I feel bloody sorry for the people of Gondor!"

She was too angry to notice the color drain from Aragorn's face and the painful flinch that followed her harsh words.

"Lass…" Gimli started in the hope to calm her a little. They all felt the magic stirring the air. It was the wrong thing to do at that point as Ginny's anger overruled every rational thought. She just didn't recognize the calming tone, only more betrayal of men wanting to talk her out of joining them.

"You know, I thought you all were my friends. I started to care for you all and I thought you all cared for me as well. I thought you all know me well enough to know that I will fight by your side and die for my friends but apparently I'm nothing more than a weak and stupid sex toy for you men. A tool to do with as you please. Only good for bearing children and cook a meal." Ginny growled angrily as the uncontrolled magic made her voice dark and threatening. "Apparently you forgot that I have already saved quite a few lives in this world. Haldir at least was thankful for still being able to breath. Without me half of the men of Rohan would have been dead because of poison and fever! And I'm not even talking about the battles I fought before coming to Middle Earth or the tortures I endured back home for almost a whole year. But fine deal with it yourself! Get yourselves killed. I couldn't care less. Might as well go find my real family." Ginny stated. She turned on the spot and apparated away.

Even with the anger and betrayal burning through her veins Ginny didn't go far, she wouldn't have known where to apparate to. So she reappeared just outside the gate of Edoras and walked towards a small rock formation where she could sit down hidden from view and cry.

She wasn't sure what hurt more; loosing friends to death or feeling betrayed by those who she thought were her friends. She had honestly thought that they valued her skill and presence. They had been so happy with her healing skills and using her magic to save them but now she just felt used.

Everything was made worse by the fact that she very vividly remembered Harry telling her the same thing. He didn't want her in battle either. They had left her behind as well. She remembered the agonizing months of waiting for any sign of live from Harry, Ron and Hermione. It had been worse torture then anything the Carrows could have ever thrown at her. There was no way in hell she could live through that again. She'd rather kill herself right there before facing that pain again. She really wouldn't be able to deal with that pain above on the pain she was already experiencing.

After the first fifteen minutes of uncontrollable crying she calmed a bit and heard her name being called. Apparently the traitors were looking for her. She didn't reply and tried to compose herself but it didn't work as her heart ached more and more.

She just felt so betrayed by them. She had come to respect them and care for them. Had they not fought together? Had they not looked out for each other? Had she not saved many during the battle with her magic? She would have thought they would have been thankful for that. She had thought that it would have created some sort of bond between them.

It was Hogwarts all over again. _'You are too young Ginny.' 'You are not skilled enough, Ginny.' 'I'm older so I'm decided you should stay at home, Ginny'. ' You are too innocent to be in battle, Ginny.'_

The voices of her mother, father and Harry still echoed through her mind as she remembered.

She had no idea of how long she sat there staring out over the Rohan planes when the footsteps got closer and she saw a shadow appear next to her.

"Ginny?"

She looked up to see Aragorn standing next to her. He met her eyes and she knew they only conveyed hurt.

"Oh, Ginevra." Aragorn sighed and pulled her into his arms. "I'm so sorry."

She struggled a bit against his hold but she couldn't deny that she felt comforted and cared for in his arms.

"I didn't mean it like that. I would never think of women as only good for baring children and cooking. You know that I don't think like that. The woman I love would roast me above a fire if I would truly believe that." He chuckled darkly.

She closed her eyes for a second and let his words wash over her. When she opened them again Legolas appeared at the other side and immediately took her hand in his. His touch soothed her further.

"I also know that you are skilled and experienced enough to come with us. I only meant for you to be safe. You have been through so much already, in your world and in this world, that it would be unfair of us to expect more from you. I just wish for you to stay here and stay out of the war this time. I was never questioning your abilities or a woman's usefulness in a battle. Where I was raised the women had the same training as the men. Many are more lethal than any orc I have seen. I just worry about what this next battle will do to you."

She sighed and relaxed a bit. The pain she had felt from what she had thought to be a betrayal from her new friends slowly eased away. She realized that maybe she had overreacted and let her temper get in the way. Aragorn let go of her and before she could sit down again she was immediately pulled into Legolas's arms. He pulled her against his chest and sat them down on the rock.

She took a deep breath and looked up at Aragorn.

"I guess I overreacted." Ginny sighed. "I have a bad temper that often runs away from me. I have already faced so many questioning thoughts from the men here about my abilities in battle that it just got too much. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry as well for not making myself clear." Aragorn said.

Ginny shook her head and decided to tell the truth.

"Your offer for me to stay behind is kind, Aragorn but there are quite a few reasons why that can't happen." Ginny started. "For one, I have done it once before. I was told to stay out of the war before. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. Waiting day after day for news, just to know if your friends are alive but also hoping that you hear nothing so that it can't be bad news. I don't think I would be able to survive the uncertainty again. Not knowing if those I care for would be coming back alive would kill me. I did it once and I can't live through that torture again.

Secondly, like it or not, you will need my healing skills. Even if you win the battle many will be injured and I can make a huge difference there, even with only providing potions. And lastly, staying here is not my path. Before he left, Gandalf told me about his vision of the battle. He told me that my path would be with the king of Rohan and making sure that the royal family of Rohan gets through this. Something about preventing stupid mistakes." She said with a chuckle. "I know that he told you about the path you have to take. Either way they both lead into battle. That's why I need you to train me. I don't have unlimited amounts of magic, if my healing skills are needed after the battle I have to safe up as much magic as I can. So I need to be able to fight with a sword, bow or knives."

"I can understand your reasoning. I will teach you the best I can for the time we have."

"I also need Legolas to help me with gathering herbs and brew potions. His knowledge of nature will be helpful. I'm going to brew a shitload of potions to help us deal with the wounded."

Aragorn and Legolas looked at each other for a second. To Ginny it was a testament as to how well the two knew each other to have these silent conversations.

"Of course I will help." Legolas said.

"We have at least four days until Gandalf makes it to Gondor then another day until he can get the beacons lit, if the Steward agrees. It should be plenty of time to make you at least decent with a sword."

Ginny nodded and was already thinking about which potions she could make in such a short time. Essence of dittany, burn pastes, blood replenishing potions, fever stopping potions, pain relieve potions and wound cleaning paste were all things she could brew up in a day. Potions to remove poisons would take a little longer and would only be useful when the poison was compatible to the potion, perhaps she could make one batch just in case.

"How much time will you need with your potions?" Legolas asked.

"Uhm… At least four hours a day, so a complete morning or afternoon. Some potions have to shimmer for a while so I can start them in the morning and then see to them after the training. I also want two hours for studying of magic."

"So that leaves for a morning or afternoon of sword training. That should be enough to teach you the basics." Aragorn said. "What do you say? We train till dinner time today and then from tomorrow we will take every afternoon to train until we ride out."

"That sounds like a plan." Ginny sighed.


	26. Last days of Peace

**_AN: I do not mind people giving comments, critique or their opinion. What I do mind is people pointing out issues they have with the story and not leaving examples or a way to contact them to ask where they found these issues.  
_ So please, if you leave a review with negative comments, leave at least an example.**

* * *

 **26\. The last days of Peace**.

Three days later the beacons had not yet been lit and Ginny got antsy with waiting. She hated waiting for the ax to drop. It didn't help with her sleeping either. Every day that passed was cause for more intense nightmares. Nightmares about big black flying things, magical things and screeching sounds haunted her nights.

However, Aragorn had said that the ride to Gondor took a long time and if they hit trouble on the way it might be even longer. The future king of Gondor didn't expect the beacons to be lit for another two days at the least.

The antsy feeling often left her in a bad mood. Sometimes it got so bad that even Gimli feared to approach her as her wand was regularly posed for cursing somebody. It was good that she had enough things to distract herself with or many people would end up being cursed into the next week.

Sword fight training helped quite a lot with her pent up frustrations. Aragorn had her working hard and left her often too tired to even lift an arm to curse.

Aragorn, she decided, was a great teacher and would he survive the war he would become a great father. He was patient, calm and knowledgeable. He had the skill to teach her things quite quickly and by the third day she was able to hold a simple defense and attack against one of the younger members of the Rohirrim.

Aragorn was most focused on teaching her how to defend herself, constantly repeating the moves so that her body could do it while sleeping. He considered it the most important of her training as she already had a major offensive weapon in her magic.

It was heavy training and her stamina wasn't all that good. While Quidditch training had been rough it was done sitting on a broom so any physical exercise didn't really come natural to her. During their mock duels Aragorn called for a break every thirty minutes before continuing just to give her a moment to catch her breath. It made her decide that she would need to brew pepper-up potion in large quantity. During these breaks they would sit down, drink and eat something while they talked about small things and big things alike.

Ginny found that her heart trusted Aragorn. Her battered and broken heart allowed her to speak to him about things that with others she thought of as too painful.

"So your brother taught you how to fly a broom?" Aragorn asked in shock.

"Yeah, I was only six but Charlie insisted I tried. It turned out I am quite the natural talent at flying." She told him as she recounted funny from her early childhood. "One of the biggest sports in my world is Quidditch. It is played on a broom and I'm very good at it. I was hoping that after the war I would fly with elite players. Sadly, I don't have a proper broom here or I wouldn't need to ride a horse."

"I find it very hard to imagine using a broom for transport." Aragorn chuckled.

A day later she showed him the book that was given to her by the Valar.

"That's a mighty gift. Though I think you deserved to be gifted anything by them as they dumped you in another war." Aragorn grumbled.

"In my dream, my best friend who died in battle gave it to me. She told me to go save lives." Ginny whispered.

"You did save many, Ginny. Hamá wouldn't have survived without you and without Hamá's skills many of the army wouldn't have made it. You were a catalyst for many lives saved."

"I never looked at it in that way." Ginny sighed.

"You know that not many women in Middle Earth can read. Even more than half of the men can't read either."

"Really?" Ginny said.

"Only those from royal or elven decent are taught. Surprisingly quite a lot of hobbits can read and write." Aragorn said. "They are taught by their grandparents through stories and legends. Did your parents teach you how to read and write?"

"Yes, I was home-schooled until I went to Hogwarts. Where I come from only a small group of people cannot read or write and that's mostly because of illness. Where I come from reading and writing is needed to get a job or earn money so that you can buy food and shelter. Most children go to school from the age of four."

"And at this school they are taught how to read and write?"

"Amongst other things." Ginny nodded. "However, in the magical world children go to school at the age of eleven, until then they are taught by their parents or hired tutors."

"That sounds really useful. Perhaps it is something to look into here as well. It would do well to have people educated."

Aragorn would often ask about general things from her world. Ginny got the feeling that he was trying to get her to talk about things that still hurt her and that he was trying to make her see that she could remember the good things without being in pain constantly. And it worked.

She did feel better after their little talks; even her nightmares about home were less terrible because of it. Not that the waiting for the battle to come was helping in the sleep department, the nightmares about the upcoming battle grew worse and worse. These talks just helped to take the edge of her memories of Hogwarts. The castle was just swapped for a new location.

Brewing seven or eight potions at once also helped to keep her from getting too antsy. She had to keep track of her timing with all cauldrons to ensure that she didn't make any dangerous mistakes. Besides keeping track of each potion, she often found herself walking for miles just to find the right ingredients.

Legolas proved to be a blessing for her in this. He really did know a lot about plants, roots and animals. What surprised her even more was that he turned out to be quite skilled at brewing as well.

"We elves have developed a lot of healing skills over the years. One of them is how to use herbs and mix them until they enhance their healing powers." Legolas explained. "Brewing potions like you do is only taking it a step further. I suggest that you talk to Lord Elrond of Rivendell about this when you get the chance. He is our most skilled healer. He also carries traces of healing magic that he can use."

"Really? It's such a shame that I came here at such a dark time. I would love to see Middle Earth in all its glory."

"Even now it truly is a beautiful place. It's sad that the elves are leaving these lands. Within the next five hundredth years there will be no true elves left in Middle Earth."

"What? Why?" Ginny asked shocked. So, shocked that she forgot to watch where she was going and stumbled over a fallen tree. Ever the gentlemen Legolas caught her before she fell.

Being in Legolas's arms was something she still found difficult and comforting at the same time. Over the last few days she had started to realize that she was developing more than friendly feelings for the elf. She hated that fact, she was Harry's girl, Harry's beloved, her new feelings felt like betraying Harry and yet… yet it felt so right with Legolas. Setting aside the fact that he was so much older than her and that he was immortal sometimes she could actually see herself being happy with Legolas.

And that she hated even more.

She knew how it felt to lose somebody she loved so deeply, she knew the pain of mortality. She would never in her right mind do that to somebody else. So even considering a relationship with somebody immortal was a no-go zone.

Still… she couldn't help her feelings.

Legolas was quite oblivious to her thoughts and answered her question as he helped her steady herself.

"The time of the elves in Middle Earth is over. There is nothing left here for us. Most of us feel the call to our true home and many are already making the journey to the grey havens."

"Where will they go?"

"To Valinor, the undying lands. It's the home of the Valar, the Maiar and the Istar."

"Will you go?" She asked hesitant as she climbed her horse. They had been gathering herbs close to a forest an hour's ride from Edoras.

"I do not feel the call yet. I have still too much left to do. My father is also still staying for now. I imagine that I won't be traveling before him."

Ginny nodded and started to ride back to Edoras. She wondered about the workings of Middle Earth. You had your dark wizards, light wizards, elves, goblins, dwarves, humans and everything in between, yet this world was so different than where she came from. It was mind boggling at times.

It appeared that only humans were the same in each world. They lived a relatively short live, during which they grew up, fell in love, got married, had kids, grew old and died. For all other creatures these rules didn't seem to apply. Elves lived long lives and if they didn't find their soul-mate they would never start a family. Not to mention that they didn't seem to be bound to this land. They had a land for themselves.

She didn't know enough about hobbits and dwarves to judge but the Istari seemed to play by even weirder rules.

"What are the Maiar?" Ginny asked.

"The Maiar are spirits, whose existence began before the world, of the same order as the Valar but of lesser degree. Through the Maiar the Valar try to shape the world."

"So, they are like angels?" Ginny asked but Legolas looked confused. "Not the right word, I guess. In my eyes, the Valar are like the gods, they created Middle Earth and everything, right?"

"Well not completely but to go into detail it would be too confusing and too long of an explanation. So, for the purpose of this conversation you can say that." Legolas answered.

"Okay, so where I come from the main god has beings that aid him in his tasks, beings that bring out his message and do jobs for him. We call those beings, Angels. I figure that the Maiar are the same to the Valar."

Legolas looked thoughtful for a while but then he nodded.

"Yes, if you look at it like that then you are right."

Ginny smiled and thought about another question.

"This Valinor, what is it like?"

"I'm not sure, I only know of the stories about them. Gandalf has been there so to get a detailed account you should ask him. What I know of it is that Valinor is the most beautiful and peaceful place there is. Imagine Middle Earth in its purest."

"That sounds stunning. Middle Earth is already stunning. Without humans and dark wizards it should be even better."

"There is no real darkness in Valinor. The Valar balances everything there. Darkness doesn't get the change to gain hold there."

"Then why are you still here?" Ginny asked. "I mean if you have such an ideal place to go to why stay in Middle Earth when dark creatures are making life difficult here?"

"That's a long story, it is entwined with the complete history of Middle Earth."

"The short version?"

"There is no short version. However, I can tell you that all the light creatures in Middle Earth feel it as an obligation to stand against the darkness of Sauron. We need to right a wrong."

Ginny sighed and shook her head. It sounded all too much like her own world. It left her with a sad feeling that it seemed that no matter which world she would ever travel too there would always be a sense of darkness. She went to a completely other world, for Merlin's sake and still she encountered a dark lord.

"If Sauron is defeated will peace return to Middle Earth or will another dark being rise?"

"We do not know. Darkness is what balances the light, it always needs to be there it seems but we are very hopeful that once Sauron is defeated and Aragorn finally accepts his destiny, Middle Earth will enter a period of peace. For how long, we can only hope it will last a long while."

Later that night Ginny sat in her room thinking about all that she had learned over the last weeks. From the battle for Hogwarts till today a lot had happened. The battle for Hogwarts had been brutal, heart breaking and her worst nightmare. Yet waking up in a completely different world seemed even a worse fate than dying at the hands of a Death Eater or of a broken heart.

At first she had been so lost and so upset. All she wanted was to die and be with Harry again. Seeing Harry die in front of her eyes and then seeing all the broken bodies of her friends and family broke her heart and almost her mind. For days, she had danced on the edge of insanity. There were moments in which giving into that darkness seemed as natural as breathing.

Yet, now, somehow even with the battles, the darkness and the war, her stay in Middle Earth seemed to be healing her wounded heart and soul. It was strange that she could find some peace of mind and the will to heal in a world where they were at the brink of a similar war.

Mulling this over Ginny realized that it was the presence of her new friends that allowed her to slowly heal and gave her the will to continue. Each of her new friends meant something to her. Aragorn had become a confidant and teacher in many ways but also an older brother. His whole look on things, his behavior and character reminded her of Bill. On the other side Aragorn's rough and weathered appearance made her think about Sirius. Somebody who had lived through more pain than a human should be capable off but with such a strength to carry on anyway.

Gimli had become the favorite uncle that she never had. She would imagine that had her mother's brothers lived they would be like Gimli was to her. Gimli told her stories about Middle Earth, about the Dwarves and their travels and about the relationship with the elves. Gimli was always the one to encourage her. He was there when Aragorn drilled her through hours of sword fighting to cheer her on.

Over the last few days Merry, Èowyn and Éomer had become her siblings much like her dysfunctional family had been. They all had their good and bad sides and Ginny started to care for whatever side they had. Whenever she could find the time or during brewing they would come to her and talk to her about all sorts of things. Ginny was happy to have Èowyn around. It was nice having a woman around to talk about female things this time around.

King Théoden wasn't around much; he was often busy helping his people recover from the time when Saruman had claimed his mind. Quite often he could be seen ordering his soldiers to help rebuild houses, sow crops or doing other things to help out his people. Ginny took some time off from her magical training to help.

With her house-hold charms knowledge that her mother had given her she could to a lot for the people without too much effort. She helped the women with cleaning clothes, mending fabrics or just clean out the house. She would do her best to heal sick children when asked or help the men by making heavy things feather light. During that week in Edoras she changed the people's point of view about magical beings. Slowly they started to trust her and King Théoden was very thankful for her help.

And then there was Legolas. No matter how she tried to classify Legolas she could never find the right description or name. He was her friend. That for sure but the word friend seemed a gross understatement. However, he had not the same status as Harry had, yet. She had loved Harry for more than seven years and even though she had a major crush on him it was the kindness in him and the brave heart that made her truly love him.

 _Qualities Legolas seemed to have as well_ , something inside of her whispered.

Ginny sighed and turned in her bed. She was already aware that she would never love a man like she had loved Harry. A true and whole heart can only be given once. However, the prospect of growing old alone without a family was so scary and her heart was already leaning towards Legolas as that much-needed companionship.

"Let us first see to that we can grow old." Ginny whispered to herself as she turned around again.

G&L&G&L&G&L&G&L&G&L

Legolas watched as the young Istar was brewing her potions. He had helped her gather and cut the ingredients and now she was adding the last of them into the large cauldron.

"There, now it has to shimmer for at least five hours before it can be bottled." Ginny said and sat down next to him.

"What potions are these?" He asked as they were new to him.

"The large cauldron is for a huge batch of pepper-up potions, it restores energy quickly but it is addictive and really should only to be used in real need. It is very useful in long battles. I have already enough bottled for myself but this is for you, Aragorn, Gimli, Éomer, the king and his guard."

"That would be very useful but how do we carry these around? These glass bottles you make are very fragile."

"Oh… I haven't showed you yet." Ginny jumped up and Legolas couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. Sometimes he marveled at how easily Ginny's mood could change. One moment she was quiet, serious and focused and the other she was like a young child with a new toy.

"Éowyn and I were talking about how to transport things more easily. I had noticed that with the trip to Helm's Deep that many things that could have been useful were left behind because of the need for speed. When Gandalf left I spend the morning pondering on plans for the coming battle and decided that we needed a lot of things but we can't burden ourselves and the horses with large amounts of foods, water and weapons. Not to mention all my potions. We came up with this."

Ginny held out a leather pouch that was about the size of a person's hand. It looked big enough to carry some coins and herbs around. It could be easily attached to his belt. In her other hand was a larger cotton bag that looked like you could attach it to a saddle.

"Here these ones are for you. As you see it has a green leaf on it."

Legolas took it from her and looked a bit confused. These weighed nothing, light as a feather. Even the bigger bag felt lighter than it should be.

"Open it. Have a look in it."

Legolas first opened the saddlebag. To his utter shock and surprise he couldn't see the bottom. What he did see were clothes, boots, quivers full of arrows, knives and his cloak. How was it possible that the whole thing didn't weigh more than a feather yet, held all this stuff in it. He reached in and touched the arrows. They felt real, their tips were very sharp and hard.

"That will be your travel bag. You can attach it to the saddle or your belt. It will hold whatever you put in it without adding to the weight but be careful with making a mess. You'll search for hours to find something. For now it only holds clothes, knives and arrows but you can add whatever you need. Within reason that is, no houses or horses. Now open the other."

He carefully opened the leather pouch and again was met with a shocking sight. Inside he saw about two dozen different glass bottles, two water bags, quite a large amount of food and bandages.

"This will be your personal care bag. It contains everything you'll need for healing and food. The food is under a charm that will keep it from going bad. The potions are all labeled to tell you what they do and the bottles are charmed so that they can't be broken. There are potions there for pain relief, blood replenishing, fix broken bones and against fever. The potion in the red bottle is essence of dittany. It activates with light so that's why the bottle isn't see through. The dittany will clean a wound but also speed up the healing of muscle tissue and skin. The glass bottles with a black lid are pastes for burns, bruises and infected cuts. Once this batch is ready you will also get a few phials of pepper-up potions."

Legolas looked dumbfound at the beautiful woman. He wondered if she had any idea of how many lives she was saving with this. Probably not and that's why he fell even more in love with her. There was no denying it any longer, he was in love. The Valar themselves could forbid it and he still couldn't care.

"This is amazing." Legolas breathed. "You have no idea how much this will help."

"I hope it will be enough to keep you alive. I have also placed a few protection charms on the bags. You see the stone that holds the clasp?"

"Yes. I can feel it humming." Legolas said as he touched it.

"I have carved runes in it. The runes create a protection for you from some basic magical attacks as well as protect the bag from falling into the wrong hands. It will need a drop of blood to link the wards to you."

"I'm sorry, what?" Legolas asked. "Using blood?"

"Yeah, it's a common thing in my world to have wards tied to that person's blood. Some wards need a payment with blood as well. Just a prick in the finger and a drop of blood will be enough." Ginny explained.

"Amazing. I'm sure that when you meet Lord Elrond you will be locked away in his library for ages just so he can learn everything he can from you. I think we should wait with that visit for a while." Legolas chuckled. "I like being able to be with you and I am not going into Elrond's library on my own free will."

Ginny laughed loudly, a sound that lifted his heart.

"I'll just give him my book. It should keep him busy for a while." She said with a chuckle.

A ringing sound was heard and Ginny got up with a groan. Apparently, a potion needed attention. Legolas continued to watch her and occasionally handed her something she needed.

She fascinated him. The way she moved, the way she talked and the way she so easily seemed to wrap all the men around her fingers. All these things seemed to show her true character. Not the depressed, sad and hurt woman he had met at first but the strong, warrior-like, battle ready witch. However, Legolas slowly learned about her protective and feminine side. He had seen her gossip with Éowyn or giggle at things. He had also seen her taking care of a very sick infant with a softness that could only be managed by a good mother.

These were all little things that made him realize that he did truly love her. Once he acknowledged that an initial bond between them had formed. He had felt it form and now he could only hope that one day she would acknowledge it as well. Sometimes he thought that she did feel the bond and wanted it to be there, while at other moment he easily recognized the haunted look of loss and heartache in her eyes.

He found that he didn't care about what his father would say about his choice. His father wouldn't be very pleased that his son had chosen a bonding with a mortal woman. He had often indicated that he saw such a bond as a worse option than traveling to the undying lands. Yet, to Legolas it didn't matter. If they would ever meet, Ginny would turn his father into a frog if he would be rude to her. She did not accept rudeness in any form. He had seen her curse a young soldier when he made a crude comment about her body. It wasn't pretty but there was no lasting damage.

Nor could he find it in him to worry about her mortality. Would she die he would follow her into death. The halls of Mandos sounded pretty good for him to stay as long as Ginny was by his side. Besides there was still the question of her being an Istar… if she truly was an Istar, she would be able to travel with him to Valinor and live forever.


	27. Gifts of Use

**27\. Gifts of use.**

Three hours later Ginny was bottling the last of her potions and placed them in the right bags. Éowyn had stopped by earlier to bring her a new stack of saddlebags for her to charm. The court ladies had stepped it up brilliantly and sewn many of these bags in just three days.

"There, that's the last one." She said with a sigh.

"Tired?" Legolas asked.

"Yes, between Aragorn torturing me and using a ton of magic today I'm exhausted. But I'm finished preparing for when we ride out. There is nothing more I can do than continued learning how to wield a sword and how to get this wandless magic under control."

"Sounds like you have still tons to do." Legolas said with a chuckle.

"All I really need to do now is to eat, give everybody their bags and sleep for the next eight hours."

"I'll help you carry the bags."

"If you can pick up that pile and give them to Éowyn, she will hand the bags to the men and explain them how to use it. Those bags don't hold any potions or special wards, they are just useful for the men to load with extra weapons, food, water and clothes. I only made a handful with special features."

They set off up the stairs to the Golden Hall where they expected the others to be starting dinner. The guards opened the door for them and inside Éowyn was already waiting for them.

"Oh, good. I was just thinking about calling you two in for dinner."

"We finished the potions and the bags." Ginny said happily. "Can you make sure the Rohirrim get these? They are for weapons, food, water and clothes. They are spelled to keep food and water fresh. The two red ones are for Gamling and Háma, they hold a few special items."

"Oh, you're finished!" Éowyn said happily and took the bags from Legolas.

Ginny nodded and walked up to the table where the others were sitting. Even Théoden was present. Apparently, she had good timing for spreading some useful presents.

"I have presents!" Ginny called for the attention of the whole table.

"Presents?" Merry asked excitedly.

"Yes, useful and handy presents for when we ride out."

"We?" Éomer asked.

"Yes, we! There is no room for that discussion so deal with it." Ginny snapped and Gimli chuckled. Éomer looked properly ashamed and nodded at her.

"Don't argue with her, Lad. You'll only end up hurt." Gimli said as he patted Éomer on the back.

"So, gifts. Firstly, I have a saddlebag for you all." She started to hand out the bags to them all. "Now before you are going to object and tell me you already have a bag let me explain these beauties to you." Ginny continued. "These bags are charmed to be feather light and have an undetectable extension charm. Which means that you can place almost everything you might need in it without feeling the weight or filling the bag. Like the one I made and packed for Legolas, it carries all his clothes, his cloak, his boots, four quivers full of arrows, six long knives, an extra bow and two small knives. It will also keep water and food fresh for a month."

Helpfully Legolas showed his bag to them and handed it to Théoden to look at it.

"It weights next to nothing." Théoden said in amazement. "That is a very useful gift, Ginevra."

"I made about two dozen of these for the army to carry around. We just didn't have enough materials to make more. Though yours are a little bit more charmed."

"Still, these would be very helpful. It will give us an advantage to carry enough supplies with us. Not only for us but also for the horses as well." Théoden said as he looked deeply into his own bag. The others seemed to agree and seemed to be very happy with their gifts.

"I have one more gift. These I only made for us." Ginny held up the pouches.

"Why do we need more bags if we have this?" Aragorn asked.

"These have much the same charms on them as the bags but a few more. I have placed a cushioning charm on them so that when it falls on the floor and a horse steps on it the content stays unbroken. Also, I have made wardstones on them. As you see each have a stone for claps. This stone is decorated with runes that activate special wards on the bag. The most important one is that only the one I give it too can open it but it will also protect you from basic magic."

"Why would you ward something like a pouch so extensively?" Gimli asked.

"This will be your survival kit, Gimli. I have already packed these pouches for you all. Inside you will find about three liters of fresh water, enough food to last for over a month under a statis charm so that it stays fresh for years, bandages and most importantly more than enough potions to help you through the battle. There are healing potions, pepper-up potions, fever reducing potions, those have a glass cap. The ones with a black lid on them have pastes for burns, bruises and infected cuts."

"That's a mighty gift, young Istar." King Théoden breathed.

"I know and I could only fear to imagine when something like that falls into the hand of the enemy. That's why I have it so extensively warded. Once you activate the wards with your blood it will be impossible for somebody else to access the potions. If anyone else opens it without your consent it will burn him or her. I'm going to call your name and I'll help you activate the charm."

"How do we do that?" Merry asked.

"By using a needle to prick your finger, place a small drop of blood in the middle of the stone."

"What?" Aragorn asked.

"They are bloodwards. Used in my world by the most noble families to ensure the safety of their family members. They are pretty common actually. Now, first is Gimli."

The dwarf got up and handed her his hand.

"Now, I'm going to prick your finger to get a drop of blood out and then you press it on the red stone." Ginny explained. Gimli nodded and waited patiently for her to do as she said. When he pressed the droplet of blood on the wardstone a flash of red light encased him for a second. When it disappeared, Ginny smiled and nodded. "I will no longer touch the pouch, it's yours now Gimli."

"Thank you, lass. It is much appreciated." Gimli said and attached the pouch to his belt.

Ginny repeated this procedure until everybody but Èowyn had a pouch. Ginny knew the shieldmaiden well enough to know that she would ride into battle with them but there was no reason to tell the king that. She gave Èowyn a quick wink and the maiden smiled brightly at her. She received the message.

During dinner plans for the battle of Minis Tirith was discussed. While Théoden wasn't yet convinced he would ride out he was involved in the planning. Ginny listened to the men as they talked about the different strategies she considered what she knew about warfare.

"It's best to approach them in groups. That way everybody can be protected." Éomer said.

"Yes, that would be useful. We can send in groups of seven or eight after each other. Than the back of the first group is protected."

"I don't think that will work." Ginny suddenly stated. She was thinking about the battle for Hogwarts and how the Death Eater completely overwhelmed them at first. Everybody looked up at her and fell silent.

Legolas looked at the red Istar in shock. It was one thing for a woman to fight in battle but to involve in a strategic meeting and even disagree with the King and Marshal was something else. Legolas shook his head and waited for the reaction of Théoden and Éomer. He hoped that the two had learned enough about Ginny's character to know not to antagonize her.

Surprisingly Théoden looked at her thoughtfully for a second and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Before I came to Middle Earth I was in a battle. This battle was located in front of a large castle, the access point of the castle was quite similar to that of Minas Tirith." Ginny said and pointed to the map that was in front of Aragorn. "We defended the castle in small groups working together but we were overwhelmed by the onslaught of enemies. We were too fractured to make any headway against them at first. It was only after re-enforcements that we managed to balance the battle." Ginny explained. Legolas watched her eyes and face carefully for signs of pain but it seemed that Ginny's emotions were completely locked within her. "There were two tactics that worked but not the group tactic."

"What did work?" Éomer asked.

Ginny looked thoughtful for a second. Legolas wondered what she was thinking as her eyes didn't show any emotion.

"What worked was first the tactic of our enemy. They rushed onto the battlefield in one row. Pretty much similar to what the Uruk's did at Helm's Deep only at a higher speed. The battlefield was flat so walls and the need for ladders didn't hold them up. They forced us to retreat pretty quickly."

"That makes sense. If you form a line with the horses and gallop over the fields towards them the orcs will not know how to handle that." Aragorn agreed. "The speed of the horses will ensure that you break through the first dozen of lines pretty quickly."

Everybody nodded and Éomer made notes on the tactic.

"The second tactic we used after we regrouped. Much like Gandalf and Éomer did at Helm's Deep we formed one group and pushed through at one point of the enemy lines. Once we were through we slowly spread out while taking out our enemies."

"With horses that is difficult to achieve." Éomer mused. "It might be a good idea if the groups are smaller but not too small."

"But still with the horses they get too irritated to work like that." Théoden sighed.

"There is one other thing I want to suggest then I'll leave the tactics up to you men. There are two spells I can place up on a few people that will work for a period. One is called a notice-me-not charm. As it suggests it will prevent people or enemies from noticing you. It will last for a short while but it might be useful.

The other is a disillusionment charm. It will make you almost invisible as it will make you take the color of your background. Enemy's will have noticed you when you move but you will be hard to track and when you stand still they will not see you. This charm will last a little longer but I can cast it on only three people at once." Ginny said before she got up. "I need to sleep, my magic is exhausted. Good night everybody."

The others all called goodnight back and watched the young woman walk away. It was silent for a while as the men wondered what had just happened. A woman had just given them a lesson in battle tactics. Legolas shook his head fondly. She certainly was something else.

"That girl is something else." Éomer echoed his thoughts.

"Yes, you can say that." Aragorn agreed. "She has already so much experience in battling a dark lord that I worry about her mental health sometimes."

"She has some pretty good insights though." Legolas defended her.

"That she had. It seems that she can adapt to any kind of situation quickly. I noticed at Helm's Deep that she had an incredible feeling for how battles develop. She can make quick decision and work with what she has. A rare gift." Théoden said.

"Knowing Ginny as I think I do she will already be planning her own battle moves in her mind. She likes to be well prepared." Legolas stated.

"Yes, her survival kit is a statement to that." Théoden agreed. "She sure is a jewel. If you, master elf, had not already given your heart to her and she did not seems to feel something for you as well I would have suggested that Éomer would court her quickly."

Legolas almost choked on the wine he just drank. His sputtering made everybody laugh loudly. Aragorn patted him on his back while roaring with laughter. Legolas decided that any denial would be useless and decided to take it in good grace. He smiled at the king as the old man winked to him.

"Just don't let her hear you say it." Legolas said.

"I wouldn't dare. I wouldn't like to be on the receiving end of her wand. Though I would suggest for you to make a move quickly. There are many suitable men around for her. Going to Gondor I imagine the young Captain of Gondor to be very suitable as well."

"I'm not sure if that would be a good thing right now." Legolas sighed.

"No, it wouldn't." Gimli agreed.

"Why not?" Éomer asked.

"Ginny's heart is not ready for it. The battle she just discussed with us happened only a few weeks ago. In that battle she didn't just loose her family but also the one who held her heart. When she arrived in Middle Earth she was ready to die and be back with the man she loved. She asked Gandalf several times to kill her. That desire still isn't gone completely."

"She was so broken. I think Helm's Deep helped her regain some of her former self but she is still so badly hurting." Aragorn said sadly.

"I think that I would just drive her away if I even mention anything like that. She needs to heal from her broken heart first." Legolas stated and left the hall. He wasn't upset or angry with any of them. It was normal for men to banter like that and it was also pretty normal to talk openly amongst each other, it was just that he needed a moment to organize his thoughts.

Out in the cold wind that swept across the plains Legolas sat down and tried to organize his thoughts. That Théoden had noticed his feelings for Ginny was surprising. While he hadn't exactly tried to hide it he hadn't thought he was that obvious about it. The king had been busy and for him to notice it…

What had shocked him most was that Théoden had apparently caught something from Ginny as well. While Théoden hadn't said that she was in love with him, the king had stated that her feelings seemed to be similar.

Was it true? If so, why hadn't he noticed it? Had he been so blind? Or maybe the king just saw things differently?

Legolas sighed, he would be so happy if Ginny could ever love him but he still held little hope. He wasn't sure if the little witch could give her heart twice. Humans could do that. He had seen it before over his many years but he knew that something was holding Ginny back and he wondered if it was her magic. Would she have had a magical bond with her love? Something controlled by something different than nature?

Suddenly he heard footsteps behind him. They were light and he feared fro a second that it was Ginny and that she had heard them talking about her.

"Is everything alright, my lord Legolas?" Èowyn asked besides him. He breathed out a sigh of relieve.

"Yes, my lady, I am fine. I just needed a moment to gather my thoughts."

"May I speak freely with you?" The Shieldmaiden asked hesitantly. While the woman had been quite vocal with Aragorn, Théoden and Ginny she had been very polite and careful with him and Gimli. Legolas understood that she had little experience with dealing with high placed members of non-human society. It made her careful and hesitant out of fear of insulting somebody.

"Of course." Legolas nodded.

"My uncle has a big mouth sometimes but what he sees is the truth. I too have noticed that the relationship between you and lady Ginevra is more than a friendship."

"It doesn't really matter if others see it, my lady. There is only one who I wished to see it and she is nowhere near ready for it." Legolas said.

"Ginny has lost a great deal in a short period." Èowyn said carefully. "Including the man she had loved for seven years. I'm not going to spill all her secrets as she told me many but that man saved her life from something more deathly than a dragon when she was only eleven summers old. The man saved her father three years later and her brother the next year. She had given everything to him."

Legolas closed his eyes and let the truth of Èowyn words washed over him.

"Than there is no hope for me. I have already given my heart but she will never be able to return the gesture."

"I don't think that is true, milord." Èowyn said softly. "Ginny has a lot left to give. She is healing from her ordeal and in time she will be able to pick up her pieces and live a normal life. She will be able to truly love her friends, Aragorn will become a brother to her, my uncle will be her father and Gimly an uncle. But you, she will love you as a woman loves a man but she will need you to help her to truly love again."

"I'm not sure if she can."

"You will have to teach her that every little thing is worth giving. If you want too, you can become the most important man in her life." With that Èowyn left, leaving Legolas to more complicated thoughts.

He glanced up to the starts

' _ **I would do anything to make her happy but will it cost me my own?'**_


	28. The Broom

_**AN: thanks for reading this story! Please let me know your thoughts with a review!**_

* * *

 **28\. The Broom.**

Ginny was sleeping restlessly. Her dreams were haunted by nightmares of battles and magic. Twice she woke up with a scream as she saw both Harry and Legolas being killed by a Dark Lord she didn't recognize. However, when she woke up a third time she wasn't in her bed anymore. In fact, she was in the same place as where she had met Hermione.

Her heart soared in the hope to see her friend again but as she looked around there was no one in sight. Then she remembered what Legolas had taught her about the Valar so she knelt down and waited for somebody to address her.

Suddenly a soft voice spoke.

"I am Vairë, the weaver of stories."

Ginny looked up and saw an image of a woman standing in front of her. The woman was dressed in a green gown that seemed to flow into the grass.

"Hello, I'm Ginevra."

"Yes, the red Istar. The one of fire. Brought to Arda to balance out the darkness. Your coming to Middle Earth will balance out the coming war. However, it will be up to human race to truly sway the battle their way."

Ginny thought about Vairë's words for a second.

"So, I can't do anything for them to ensure victory?"

"Your presence, your love and your skill is already doing enough. You are giving them a chance. You give them potions and magic so that they have the best change to survive. You take care of them. Your daring rescue of the Marchwarden is proof enough of how your caring heart is making changes already."

"Will these changes be for the better? Is my coming not interfering with a favorable outcome?"

"Of course my dear. You don't need to feel so unsure about your right to be in Middle Earth. We brought you here for a reason. However, it will be up to the heart of the future king to ensure your presence will be enough. He will have to take the biggest step."

"But Gandalf told me to stay with the horse army?" Ginny asked confused. "If I do that I cannot help Aragorn take that step."

"Elessar will have his own path to take. The Elven prince and the Dwarf Warrior will follow him and guide him but you can't. Your love for them will give them the courage they need. Your skill and presence in the horse army will give their men courage and determination. Those men will need you more than the fellowship needs you. Besides King Théoden needs to survive to rebuild his country. Middle Earth needs him."

Ginny nodded this was similar to what others had told her.

"So, I need to stay with the Rohirrim and protect them as much as I can. I have given Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas my magic to ensure they stand a chance without me. Is there anything else I can do?" Ginny asked.

Vairë smiled at her and winked.

"You have done enough, Red Istar, tomorrow you will ride out. Be brave, be strong and find the lion with in you."

Suddenly the Vala disappeared and a silence hung in the air. Ginny mulled over the words Vairë had spoken. Tomorrow the beacons will be lit and the army of Rohan will muster. While she wouldn't enjoy being in another battle again she would show why she was placed in the house of the brave.

She sat in the soft grass waiting patiently to see what would happen next when somebody yelled "Ginny!"

She turned around in shock and saw her brother run towards her.

"Bill!" She screamed. Before she could even make the conscious decision, her feet were taking her towards her brother. "Oh Bill." She sobbed and flung herself in his arms.

"Hey, it's okay." Bill said as he wrapped his arms around her.

"No, it's not. You are dead, Fleur is dead. Everybody is dead. You needed to live, you had this great future with a wife and many kids ahead of you." Ginny sobbed in his arms.

"Shhhh, it's alright." Bill said. "We are in a good place. Hermione told you that."

"But I'm not with you. I miss you all so much." Ginny cried.

"While I miss you too I'm very happy that you are still very much alive, little kitten." Bill said and sat them down in the grass. "You have been given a chance to live life for all of us. Don't throw that gift away."

"But it is so hard to even try to live and breathe when I don't have any family left. I'm all alone out there in this weird new world. It hurts Bill, so much."

"I know you don't believe that you are truly alone. From what I know you have been building up quite the new family there."

"They can't replace you all." Ginny snapped.

"No, they can't but if you would allow them they can become your new family. Family is not always about blood. I think that Harry showed you that. We will always be there in your memories and heart but if you ever want to be happy again than you will have to let the others fill the emptiness and soothe the pain." Bill told her.

"But we are at the brink of another battle, how can I let them in when I could lose them so quickly again? I don't think I can live through that again." Ginny sighed.

"But wouldn't it be better to enjoy every minute of being with your new friends?" Bill stated. "Your own survival isn't ensured either, would you deny them your love and companionship if they might only have a short time with you?"

Ginny looked up at Bill in surprise. His words weren't harsh or demanding, they were just driving home a point. It was what Bill did best, making sure she got what he was trying to explain. It's as he had always done.

"Ginny, you are young, you haven't even truly lived. All your life has been controlled by darkness and war. Even before you went to Hogwarts mom and dad were scared of the darkness that was always lurking. Now in this new world you have a chance to make your own life. Face the darkness, try to destroy him, have a family with a loving man, travel the world and do what you love."

"But Harry…"

"Harry wants you to be happy. You know that. He is the most selfless man ever. He wants you to live your life in honor of all of us. We all want you to live your life for us."

"But I won't ever find a man like Harry again. Besides I don't think I can ever love like that again."

"You won't know that unless you try." Bill said. "And about finding a good man, well I don't think you will have to look very far. Gossip is, that there is a very good looking elven prince who is completely and utterly in love with you."

"Legolas? Really?" Ginny asked skeptically.

"Like you don't know it. You are not that blind, kitten."

Ginny sighed and shook her head. She couldn't deny that she had seen the look in Legolas's eyes change over the last few days. Nor could she deny the bond she had felt forming between them and the loving warmth that came from the elf.

"No, I am not, however he is elven. With that come complications like mortality. I will live only for a century at the most and then I would leave him with my death. I couldn't do that to him, not with what I know about elven love."

Bill nodded and looked into the sun. As she watched him it looked like he was listening to something intensely. Her thoughts were confirmed when Bill gave a sharp nod and looked at her again with a smile she remembered clearly. He always smiled like that when he was sharing a secret with her.

"I will tell you a secret but you will have to swear that you won't say anything about it until after Sauron is destroyed."

"Do you need a magical oath?"

"No, but you will have to promise to keep this quiet as long as Sauron is still out there. This information can't reach his ears for it might place you in even greater danger."

"Alright, I promise." Ginny nodded.

"So you know that the elves are calling you the red Istar right?" Ginny nodded. "They do that for a reason. The Valar brought you, a witch, to Middle Earth to help them shape the future. They did the same with Gandalf. The grey and now white Istar is a maia, brought into existence by the Valar. Gandalf's spirit was born in Valinor before the first age. He has been traveling back and forth to Middle Earth for ages. The shape he has now as Gandalf has been in Middle Earth for more than three-hundredth lives of men."

Ginny looked at him confused. She was trying to make sense how Gandalf's age and birth had anything to do with her and her possible relationship with Legolas. Bill noticed her confusion and sighed.

"The Istari are Maiar, Ginny. Istari, like Gandalf, Saruman and you were brought to Arda in the shape of Maiar. The form of the Istari was determined by the Valar to be that of old men. They were named for their affinity with magic. Gandalf the Grey, Saruman the white, Radagast the brown and so on." Bill explained carefully. "When they brought a new Maia into the world they continued the naming tradition but as they selected a soul that already had a shape they left it to be. You are now the Red Istar, the Istar of fire, bravery and passion."

"But that… that would mean…" Ginny muttered. "That would mean that am one of the Maiar. I will live for a very long time in Middle Earth and then I will be allowed to travel to Valinor." She muttered.

Bill nodded and smiled at her.

"Forever is a long time to be alone and in pain, Ginny." Bill whispered.

"But then I won't be able to die and see you all!" Ginny yelped.

"Oh, you can die. Don't make that mistake, a blade can still kill you. However, when you do you will go to the halls of Mandos and stay there until the Valar release your spirit." Bill explained. "We will visit you from time to time. Whenever you have great need for us we will be there. But even when you can't see or talk to us we still are with you, always."

Ginny nodded but wasn't all that happy about it. She had hoped to face battle with the knowledge that if she should perish she would see her family again and that wouldn't be too bad.

Now that security was taken from her as well. She wasn't happy with that.

"It is time for me to go." Bill said and stood up. "I have a present for you. The Valar are feeling really bad about the way they dumped you into this madness without any real guidance so they are granting you some help and fun."

Ginny shook her head and got up as well. She would dwell on the implication of her mortality status later. She watched as Bill pulled something small from his pocket. "Here Harry told me to give this to you."

Ginny took it and noticed it was a miniature version of a Firebolt.

"It's just under a shrinking charm right now. When you wake up you can enlarge it." Bill said.

Ginny couldn't help but grin. She would be able to fly again.

"Remember what I said, little kitten, just give it a chance. We all want you to be happy in this new world. Live every day to the fullest and smile."

"Even a new man?" Ginny asked hesitant.

"Your mother is still hell bend on having grandkids to watch over. Only now she will do it differently."

With that Bill faded and Ginny jerked awake. She was back in her bed in Meduseld. She sighed and closed her eyes for a while. They had easy talking; it was she who was hurting. It was she who had to go on this idiotic adventure alone.

As she shifted to lit up a candle she felt the miniature broom in her hand. The grin she couldn't suppress pulled up her lips and her body quivered in excitement. She grabbed her wand and placed the broom in front of her.

"Finite." She whispered and the broom quickly grew to its original size.

Quickly she got dressed and took the broom. She raced out of the room and through the halls until she was reached the balcony. She quickly brushed her hand over the broom to feel it's magic. As soon as she had the connection she jumped off the balcony.

She never noticed Aragorn or Legolas standing just a couple of feet away.

G&L&G&L&G&L&G&L&G&L&G&L&G&L

Legolas sat with Aragorn during the early morning sunrise waiting for the beacon to be lit. He hadn't slept that night and had stayed outdoors. He kept thinking about Ginny and about the upcoming battle. He started to realize that Ginny had been right about the waiting for the battle. He started to wish they would hurry up and get it over with as well.

Aragorn had joined him shortly before the sky started to turn light. He hadn't said a word but just sat down and waited for the beacons to be lit. It was only with the first rays of sunshine that Aragorn spoke.

" **Are you well my friend?"** Aragorn asked.

" **Yes, I'm alright. I just needed time to sort out my thoughts. The fact that the King sees almost too much was a shock."** Legolas said with a smile. He had already come to terms with the fact that now everybody knew about his feelings for the red Istar. It wasn't a secret and it wasn't as if his father would hear it from the court of Rohan. Any connections between Rohan and Mirkwood had long been broken.

" **The King sees true. We all see it."**

" **Yes, I guess so."** Legolas sighed. **"I wasn't keeping it a secret but I don't want to place any pressure on Ginevra. It wouldn't be fair."**

Aragorn nodded and lit his pipe. They sat in silence for another minute or so before Aragorn started to speak again.

" **The young Istar is healing quicker than expected and that is only because of your love for her. While it might be true that she isn't ready for it yet in her heart she knows and feels your love for her. You must not give up, my friend."**

" **I won't."** Legolas said with conviction. It was in that moment that he truly convinced himself to keep fighting for a love that he had longed for, for ages.

Hurried footsteps in the hallway pulled them out their hushed conversation. They both turned a little to see who was in such a hurry and why. As the door behind them opened with a bang the flash of red in the first sunlight informed them about the identity of the running person.

They watched as Ginny ran passed them to the edge of the balcony. Legolas noticed she was carrying something thin and long but couldn't identify the object. She only paused for a second before jumping off the balcony.

"Ginny!" Both men screamed. They helplessly watched her plummet head first off, the balcony.

Legolas was too shocked to move but Aragorn rushed forward.

"Ginny!" He yelled again.

Only after a few seconds Legolas heard the most beautiful sound ever. It was the sound of a young woman laughing loudly. It pulled him out of his shock and got him moving again. He rushed forward just in time to see streaks of red flying through the air.

Both men watched in awe and shock as the young woman flew through the air with the ease of a bird. Legolas only now noticed that the long thin object was in fact a broom.

"Amazing." Aragorn whispered as Ginny rolled through the air laughing loudly with not a care in the world.

"Yes, she is."

"Ginny!" Aragorn called and waved.

With incredible speed Ginny raced towards them and skidded to a halt just three feet away.

"Oh, good morning dear sirs." Ginny said with a chuckle. "Look at what I was gifted last night." She raced around them a few times before stopping in front of them again. "Behold the Firebolt racing broom, the best and fastest broom available in my home-world."

"It looks dangerous." Aragorn stated. "Too fast to be safe."

"Nah, you just have to make sure you stay on it." Ginny said as she raced away. Her laughter echoing over the fields. Legolas watched her until the sun had truly risen. He felt his heart warm at the joy she radiated. Her laughter made him smile more widely than he had thought possible in these dark times.

"Ginny!" He called out. "Time for breakfast!" She looked up and immediately raced towards him.

"I would have taken you for a ride on this broom but I'm not sure yet as to how well it will behave here in this world." Ginny said as she landed next to him.

"It's okay, I fear I wouldn't enjoy it as much as you do."

"Chicken." Ginny muttered with a smile.

"You said it was gifted to you?"

"Yes, you remember what I told you about how I got my book?"

"Of course.

"Well it happened again. I met with Vairë first and then they granted me a visit of my eldest brother. It was so special, Legolas. I miss him so much. He was my hero when I was younger, a true big brother always ready to fight off monsters." Ginny gushed. The visit of Bill had left her with new spirit and the possibility to fly away her fears and pain only added to her happiness. "He said that the broom was a gift from Harry. The Valar granted it because they feel bad about dumping me in this situation without any real guidance."

"That is really special. Valar must be feeling like they have wronged you terribly to allow for such a gift."

"I don't know. They have burdened me with a difficult task but one I fully intend to fulfill." Ginny mused.

"Did Lady Vairë tell you of your task? Why they brought you here?"

"Yes, she did. I'm not sure if I would do you any good by telling you about it right now. One day I will but I need to work things out for myself first."

"That's okay. I have learned long ago to trust in the motives of the Valar." Legolas sighed. "Your brother, how was meeting him again?"

"It was great, Legolas. Truly great. Though his task for me might be even harder." Ginny said with a frown.

"I will be here if you need any help." Legolas promised the young woman that had captured his heart. Seeing her smile like that made him fall for her even more.

When they entered the hall people were quick to ask Ginny about her reasons for waking up the entire city with her laughter. Legolas listened as she told them about her broom and even watched with a smile as she demonstrated how it worked. These were one of those weird things about this Istar that everybody seemed to find strange but just accepted it because of who Ginny was.

After the interest and the ruckus died down they sat down for breakfast while Théoden and Gambling talked about the possibilities of gathering the complete Rohirrim.

"The beacons of Minas Tirith! The beacons are lit!" Somebody was suddenly yelling. Legolas immediately recognized Aragorn's voice and turned to look at what the king would decide. Aragorn threw open the door so loud that next to him Ginny jumped. "Gondor calls for aid."

A silence fell over the hall as everybody waited for the king to make his final decision.

A movement next to him pulled Legolas's attention away from the king. Ginny was holding her wand in her hand and impatiently played with it. Her eyes hard on the king. He had seen that look before, she was ready to curse the king if he would decide not to go.

"And Rohan will answer! Muster the Rohirrim." Théoden decided. Gamling nodded and they quickly left the hall. "Assemble the army at Dunharrow, as many men as can be found. You have two days." Théoden said as he followed Gamling out. They didn't hear the rest of the orders but they all got up to get ready.


	29. On different paths

**_AN1: I have been reaching a point after the battle at the black gates in my story... now how to continue? what do you want to see Ginny do in Middle Earth?_**

 ** _AN2: Enjoy the next chapter, it is long and with some very "much requested" moments_**

* * *

 **29\. On different paths.**

Ginny let out a sigh of relieve. She hadn't been looking forward into hexing the king into action but the plans of the Valar were clear and the race of men had to stand up and show some backbone.

She watched as the men and Èowyn left the hall. Then she summoned her backpack and her survival kit. What she never told anyone was that her survival kit held many more potions and also tons of ingredients to make more potions. She would be able to do so much more than the others but only when they truly needed.

She picked up the fruits that lay forgotten on the table and put them into her backpack. She shrunk her broom and placed in it there as well. She would ride a horse until the battlefield after that she would switch to the speed of her broom. She checked if her sword was in the bag as well. She wouldn't carry it on her belt as it already held two long knifes that had been gifted to her by one of the elves she healed at Helm's Deep. The sword would come to her when she needed it.

Around the hall and outside she heard a lot of noise. People were getting ready quickly and she wondered how much time there would be before leaving. Not much she gathered. She got up with a piece of buttered bread in her hand and left the hall.

In the town many soldiers were already in saddle and gathering near the gates. In and around the stables and armory it was mayhem. Everybody was gathering the horses and their weapons. She smiled when she noticed that her saddlebags were put to good use.

"Thank you, milady!" One of the men yelled at her as he held up one of the bags. She smiled and nodded to him as she made her way towards her horse. The mare was restless. She too felt the anticipation of the coming battle. Ginny quickly saddled the horse.

She was sure the men of Rohan could do it much quicker but she felt proud of the fact that she could do it herself. It had taken the stable hands a few times to explain to her how everything worked. A little bit further into the stables she noticed Èowyn saddling her own horse as well. She didn't miss the long sword Èowyn placed in the saddlebag Ginny had made especially for her.

She mounted while still in the stables and rode out to where the army was gathering. She looked around and saw Legolas and Gimli mounting a horse with the two of them. She urged her horse towards them. When she reached them both men looked at her.

"That poor horse will be dead tired before we reach Dunharrow with the two of you." Ginny stated.

"Don't worry lass. These are strong horses and the elfling doesn't weigh much."

"Either way. Let me place a few charms on you, Gimli. Just to ensure the horse will be okay for battle. You can ride mine by the time the battle starts."

"Alright, lass… no freaky things, right?" Ginny laughed as she too remembered cursing Gimli because he kept nagging her about footwork. The poor dwarf had sported pink hair and make up for the rest of the day.

"No, just a feather light charm."

Gimli nodded and the horse suddenly stood a lot taller on his hooves. It was almost comical and she would have laughed if it wasn't for Éomer calling out over the men.

"Now is the hour, Riders of Rohan. Oaths you have taken. Now fulfill them all, to Lord and Land!" The marshal spurred on his horse and the soldiers followed him out.

The royal family, Aragorn and Legolas took up the front while Ginny decided to linger in the back with Merry. The young hobbit had found himself a smaller horse and had no issues keeping up with the soldiers. She chatted happily with the Hobbit and listened to his stories of mischief. It appeared that he and Pippin always got in trouble for their mischief.

"If we make it through this I'll travel to the Shire one day and teach you how to prank without getting caught." Ginny promised.

"Do you know how to pull a prank, milady?" Merry asked surprised.

"Of course, I am the sister of the two most brilliant pranksters in the last two decades. They taught me a thing or two." Ginny told him.

"Like what?" Merry asked excitedly.

"Well, when I was twelve and in my second year of schooling my brothers were in their fifth year. They pulled this amazing prank on their classmates. They went into the kitchen and put a potion in all the pumpkin juice. They rushed to the dining hall so that nobody suspected them. They sat down to eat and waited until they were sure everybody had drunk from the potion. Then they said the magic word and all the sudden every man had long girly hair with bows in it and every girl had a beard that rivaled Gimli's beard."

"Even you?"

"Even me, my beard was bright red and at least as long as Gimli's beard." Ginny said with a chuckle. "The most funniest thing was that even the teachers fell victim to the prank. I don't think I ever forget my most hated teacher sporting beautiful blond hair with a huge pink bow."

Merry chuckled. "Are that things I can do? I know the others have been helping you with brewing potions. Can I do that too?"

"Of course you can but I'll need to teach you as dealing with potions can be quite dangerous. Let us deal with this spoiled brat of a dark lord first and then devote time to the art of pranking." Ginny stated grandly.

"That sounds like a perfect plan, milady."

It was a long ride to Dunharrow but Ginny enjoyed every minute of it. She had taken Bill's advice to the heart and opened herself up to the possibility of enjoying herself. It wasn't easy and there were moments that the pain still controlled her thoughts but for the most of it, it worked surprisingly well.

While they rode she took time to chat with many of the soldiers. They had accepted her as one of their own and welcomed her company. Her saddlebags, healing skills and basic sword training were all topics of interest to the men. She gladly answered many questions as long as they weren't too personal.

She also rode for a long time with Èowyn. They spend their time planning the Shieldmaiden's involvement in the battle. She wasn't really happy that her friend wanted to be a part of the battle but it would have been massively hypocritical of her to deny Èowyn the chance to fight for her family and country. The witch knew exactly what Èowyn was going through but that still didn't mean she wanted her new best friend to risk her life. In the end Ginny promised her to place charms on her to disguise her true identity. It made Èowyn completely happy.

"Make way for the King! Make way, the King is here!" Somebody yelled as the party rode into the encampment. Legolas had asked her to ride with him as they reached the camp. So Ginny rode directly behind the King. She wasn't sure why it made such a difference to the elf but he had explained that it would ensure her safety and status within the camp. It would show everybody that she was a part of the royal party and therefor to be respected.

"Grimbold, how many?" Théoden called.

"I bring 500 men from the Westfold my lord." The man called back

"We have 300 more from Fenmarch, Théoden King." Another one called and Ginny wondered if that would be enough. She had no real grasp of what her enemy would bring.

"Where are the riders from Snowbourn?" Théoden asked.

"None have come my lord."

Ginny noticed how the face of the king fell. Even with so many men it was most likely that it would not be enough to face the amries of Mordor.

They rode up the mountain to a flat area from where they could oversee the camp. Ginny took her time to take care of her horse before looking for her tent. The men were still erecting them and Ginny decided to help out with her magic. She hadn't used much magic today and was able to erect all the tents within ten minutes. The men were really happy with her as she saved them the hard work and thanked her a dozen times. She placed her bags and saddle in her tent and took some time to wash up and redress herself. She decided to go with one of the black dresses Èowyn had given her instead of breaches and tunics.

She found Legolas, Éomer and Gimli with the horses. The horses were tied to an old tree that stood in the shadow of the mountain. The whole area had an eerie feeling to it but she couldn't pinpoint why.

"The horses are restless and the men are quiet." Legolas stated. To Ginny he seemed restless as well. Everybody seemed nervous.

"They grow nervous in the shadow of the mountain." Éomer told them as he tried to sooth the horses.

"It feels eerie here. There is something strange here that I can't identify." Ginny said. She looked to the pathway up to the mountain. It certainly had an eerie feeling about it. She pulled out her wand and casted a revealing charm. It didn't show anything worrisome thought she did notice the odd runes that lightened up further down the path. A second charm showed her that the runes were for containment not for warding.

"Well it's nothing worrisome for now. Just strange." She told them.

"That road there where does that lead?" Gimli asked.

"It is the road to the Dimholt, the door under the mountain." Legolas told him.

"One who venture there ever return. That mountain is evil." Éomer said and casted a dark look at the road. Then he walked away leaving them to their dark thoughts of the road.

"Come, Ginny let us find some food." Legolas said after a while. Ginny nodded but kept staring at the path as it was telling her stories. The runes they spoke to her and after a few minutes they started to make sense. She could never venture there. Cold wrapped around her body as fear and panic settled in the pit of her stomach.

Suddenly she grabbed the elf's arm, she needed the support and she needed to tell him of that path. She needed to inform him of her path. She had a sudden sense of foreboding. She hated to admit it but she suddenly saw the immediate future very clearly.

"Legolas." She whispered. "That path, I cannot take it. It is warded against magic. Entering it would be unwise for me. My path is with Théoden. Protect the Royal Family of Rohan, ensure its survival."

"What do you mean?"

"Vairë, she told me that. A part of my task." Ginny spoke urgently. She looked at him with pleading. His eyes were wide with shock and fear as well. "Please, Legolas understand, soon our paths will separate."

"No." The elf protested. He took her hand in his and pulled her closer.

"Hush. It will only be for short while. We will meet on the battlefield again. Follow Aragorn, protect the future king. Your friend needs you."

"What about you?" He almost begged.

"I will be alright. Look to the sky upon your arrival on the battlefield. I'll be there racing my broom after enemies." Ginny said and smiled as the cold vanished from her body. It had been a good choice to tell Legolas of this. It settled her heart a little. "Come the night is still young and our departure will not be for a while. Let's eat."

Legolas looked at her for a second in worry before nodding. Ginny smiled at him and pulled him along through the tents towards the smell of cooked meat and the sound of Gimli's laughter. She was sure she could find food there.

As they walked through the encampment she didn't release Legolas's arm. Instead she laced her arm through his and walked close to him. It felt like the right thing to do. Within twelve hours their paths would temporary separate. She felt like she wanted to stay close to the elf for now.

"It seems like your visit with your brother has changed you." Legolas commented.

"Yes, I guess it did. He pointed out certain things that I failed to see and while what he wants from me isn't easy and still hurts, I promised him to try."

"May I ask what he wanted you to do?"

"To live my life for them and try to be happy."

"I would be happy to see you happy." Legolas stated with a smile.

"I'll try." Ginny said. "Flying has always made me happy. Being up there with the wind blowing all the bad thoughts away. It helps to make me remember the good times."

"That's good." Legolas told her.

Their attention was pulled away from each other by the arrival of Aragorn. He sat with them and they talked softly about the amount of men that had arrived, the plans for the battle and what use Ginny's magic would have.

After dinner Ginny went back to the tent to get some sleep. She was dreaming about flying over a battlefield trying to find Legolas. She heard him calling for her but she couldn't find him, there was only blood and death. Suddenly she jerked awake, thinking her nightmare must have awoken her.

"Ginny?" Èowyn asked.

"Oh, bad dream."

"I'm sorry to wake you, Ginny but you have a guest waiting for you in the King's tent."

"Who is visiting me?" Ginny asked surprised.

"I'm not sure but I think it's the elven lord from Rivendell." Èowyn whispered.

"Oh, what would he want with me?" Ginny asked but was already pulling the black dress over her head. She had some ideas of what he wanted from her but she wasn't sure as to how and why he would know about her path and about her existence even. Were all the elves so well informed of the actions of the Valar?

"Not sure, he asked me to get you."

Ginny nodded and followed Èowyn out to the King's tent. Before she entered the tent she turned to Èowyn. She had a very good idea what was going to happen after this meeting and she wanted to prepare her friend before the Shieldmaiden would draw the wrong conclusions.

"Èowyn, whatever happens after this meeting, know that I'll be with you through this battle. I'm staying with this army and fight side by side with you."

"What will happen?"

"I'm not sure but plans are being put into action and sometimes true warriors need to divert from the path everybody is taking to ensure victory for everybody."

Èowyn looked confused but nodded. She left Ginny at the tent and Ginny took a deep breath before entering. Théoden was nowhere insight but Aragorn was there. He was already greeting the elven king.

"My lord Elrond." Aragorn said with a bow. Ginny followed his example and kneeled in front of Elrond.

"Aragorn, Red Istar. It is with pain in my heart I have come here." The elven king said sadly. Ginny got up and saw the anguish covering Lord Elrond's face.

"Why have you come?" Aragorn asked kindly then.

"I come on behalf of one whom I love. Arwen is dying. She will not long survive the evil that now spreads from Mordor. The light of the evenstar is failing. As Sauron's power grows her strength wanes. Arwen's life is now tied to the fate of the Ring. The Shadow is upon us Aragorn. The end has come" Elrond said fiercely.

"It will not be our end, but his." Aragorn said equally fierce but his statement was met by a mocking sneer from Elrond.

"You ride to war but not to victory. Sauron's armies ride on Minas Tirith, this you know. But in secret he sends another force, which will attack, from the river. A fleet of Corsair ships sails from the South. They will be in the city in two days. You're outnumbered Aragorn. You need more men."

"There are none." Aragorn argued.

"There are those who dwell in the mountain." Elrond told him.

Ginny gasped as she realized that this was the path her friends had to take. The deathly road under the mountain to gather more men. She felt a shiver run over her back.

"Murderers, traitors. You would call upon them to fight? They believe in nothing. They answer to no one."

"They will answer to the King of Gondor." Elrond said and pulled out a sword that reeked of black magic. Ginny felt almost sick by the energy that came from it. "Andúril, the Flame of the West, forged from the shards of Narsil."

Ginny stepped forward and brushed her hand over the hilt of the sword. The nausea settled and left a great deal of respect and fear for the blade.

"The sword is cloaked in the darkest of magic, Aragorn. This sword is more deathly then the worst poison you can imagine. Be very careful with it." Ginny whispered.

"Sauron will not have forgotten the sword of Elendil." Aragorn said and Ginny understood the dark magic that came from it. It had been in contact with Sauron. The dark lord must have been very powerful back then to still have so much magic lingering. "This is the sword that has defeated Sauron in battle so many years ago. The sword of my ancestor."

"The man who can wield the power of this sword can summon to him an army deadlier than any that walks this earth. Put aside the Ranger. Become who you were born to be, Ónen i-Estel Edain." Lord Elrond said. (I gave hope to the Dunedain)

"Ú-chebin Estel anim." Aragorn answered. (I have kept no hope for myself.) Ginny wondered what they said but she guessed it was something really personal.

"Go pack, Aragorn but wait with leaving until the Red Istar returns to you. I need to speak with her in private first."

"Of course, milord. Please tell Arwen I will do anything for her. One day she will be happy."

Lord Elrond nodded and waited till Aragorn left the tent. Ginny turned to him and waited for the elf to talk.

"It is an honor to meet the newest Istar, milady." Lord Elrond said.

"Please, call me Ginny. I have already heard so much about you, Lord Elrond. I consider you a friend and friends call me Ginny."

Lord Elrond smiled at her and nodded.

"Alright Ginny. I came here with a message for you. I'm not sure if you know but my line is blessed and cursed with the sight."

"As in you can see the future developing? Legolas and Haldir tried to explain it." Ginny asked as she remembered them telling her about this. She had been skeptical about the idea of seers, she never trusted them and never would. For her the future was too unpredictable.

"To a certain extend. My daughter Arwen had seen your arrival a year before you came here. The Valar were already searching for the one that could give balance to the magic in this world. It was needed after Saruman betrayed us. And then she saw more. She saw a possible future for you here. A future that made her really happy for a while. The message is coming from her."

"Aragorn trust Arwen with his heart and soul, so I will do as well."

Lord Elrond smiled at her again and nodded.

"She will be happy to hear it. Arwen says that it is time for you to truly become the strong lioness of the brave and bold and to tell your companions about your love for them. You must do what ever it takes to give them the warmth of the fire that makes up your soul. The path through the mountain is dark and cloaked in the coldness of death. They will need your love to keep them warm and your fire in their hearts to make it through the mountain. The future king needs the bond of a sister to keep his head clear and ground him. The dwarf has little family left and needs to be remembered that family is not only to be found in blood. But especially the Elven Prince, he will suffer greatly in the mountain and only the fire in his heart that burns for you will keep him whole."

"What you ask is not easily done." Ginny said softly.

Deep down inside of her she knew she had started fall in love with the elf, her conversation with Bill had confirmed that in many ways but she wasn't ready to give her heart again. Not when it was still so broken. Not, when she wasn't convinced she would heal. Legolas deserved more than a broken heart.

"I know of the pain you feel, young Istar. I have been without my love for an age. While I know I will see her again, the pain of her departure to Valinor is still there. I have been living with this pain for so long that I have to be careful not to let it consume me. You have so many years ahead that I do not wish for you to go through many years of this consuming pain." Lord Elrond said and took her hand. "The pendant that was given to you by the Marchwarden is a symbol of bravery. A symbol I knew means a lot to you. Find your inner lion, Ginny, be brave."

Ginny blinked away a tear as she tried for a moment to let go of her pain and feel everything she really felt for Legolas more clearly. Suddenly the red crystal that hung around her neck glowed brightly and its magic encased her. It wrapped around her like a warm blanket. Like a fire lit inside her was chasing away the darkness that lingered in her soul. The fire that had only been shimmering embers since the battle for Hogwarts suddenly rose up and turned into a blaze of red and orange.

The pain that was still there was fighting hard to douse it but the warm bright glow from the renewed fire settled in her soul. Not even the darkness of her loss could change it. It still wasn't the roaring fire as it had once been but there was strength again. Strength enough to overcome her pain and face the world with renewed passion. She would heal along the way to truly love again.

"When this is all over, Ginny, I would very much like for you to visit me before I leave for Valinor. Arwen would like to meet you as well. I think you two will get along great. You will meet my twin boys before that." Elrond said after the glow settled over her skin and her eyes found his again.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Lord Elrond. I would very much like to visit you, though I have been warned about the possibilities of you locking me up in a library in your quest to gain knowledge."

Lord Elrond broke in laughter and shook his head.

"That young Prince has a fierce hatred for my library. It might be a good story for when the two of you go for a walk after the battle. You should ask him about it."

"I will." Ginny said and stood up. "I guess I need to see three special men off."

"Yes, that would be wise." Lord Elrond said.

Ginny shook his hand and left the tent with a new sense of peace in her heart. She quickly walked towards the start of the path. The three men were already waiting for her. It didn't escape her notice that Èowyn was rushing off with tears running down her face. She would see what she could do for Èowyn later.

"Ginny?" Legolas asked. She took a deep breath and smiled at them.

"The Vala Vairë spoke to me about this moment three nights ago. Ever since Gandalf left for Gondor I have known that at one point our paths will separate. My task is to stay with the Rohirrim and protect the royal family. This was confirmed by Vairë" Ginny told them calmly. "I have given you three as much of my magic as I can. The runes on the stones on your survival kit do more than protect the kit. They will also protect you from a basic magical attack. You will be safe from Sauron for now. I have one more gift for each of you before you depart down a road with darkness as cold as Death. My wish is for you to keep my gift close at heart and let it shield it from the ice that might destroy it."

Ginny walked towards Gimly and hugged him. The dwarf stiffened in surprise before returning the hug.

"While you are the only one of your race here you are not alone my dear dwarf, there are people here who care for you and love you. Be brave and be strong, master dwarf. I wish to hear more stories of the great dwarf realm after this is all over. Make sure you survive. You are my family now, my uncle and I care for you. You are not allowed to leave me in favor for the halls of your fathers." She whispered softly.

Gimli's smile grew with each word she spoke. She knew he had felt left out, especially at Helm's Deep when there were so many elves present.

"Thank you, lass. I will tell you about my father's travels to Erebor when I return. It is a great story that asks for good food and many drinks." Ginny nodded and moved to Aragorn.

"I can't give you more than what Arwen has given you. Her love and my magic should be enough to keep you safe. Remember the promise you made. Become the man I already see. A great king, a great father and a great husband for your elven wife." Ginny told him and brushed some hairs from his eyes. "And my big brother. Go with the love both Arwen and I give you and don't you dare dying in there. I can't lose another brother."

"I won't my sister." Aragorn said as he placed a kiss on her cheek. "I will keep him safe as well." He whispered to her.

"I know." Ginny said and smiled at him. They nodded in understanding before Ginny moved to Legolas. This was the one she dreaded and desired most. She wrapped her hand around her pendant in an attempt to pull up her bravery. She was a Gryffindor for Merlin's sake! Bravery was in her blood.

When she reached Legolas she noticed that the other two moved away to give them some privacy.

Legolas took her hands and pulled her close to him. He seemed to know what was about to happen and what she wanted from him.

"Is now the time?" He asked.

"Yes, your path is with Aragorn but it will only be for a short period. Two or three days at the most. He depends on you as much as you depend on him."

"Are you sure you can't come."

"Yes, the entrance of the path under the mountain is warded. I cannot pass that, my magic is too pure." Ginny said and a silence fell between them. The darkness of the magic from the runes she saw there would overwhelm her still fractured soul. She could never go there. Ginny heard Legolas take a deep breath.

"Ginny." He whispered. It sounded like he was in agony.

"Legolas, this isn't easy for me. I had given my heart to a man once and loved him fully. He was taken from me in battle and I fear what might happen if I dare to let myself love you like that so shortly before the deciding battle." Ginny told him. Halfway through the sentence she met his eyes. The greenish blue where swirling with emotions. Only a few of them she could name. "But I'm a Gryffindor, from where the brave and noble dwell."

Legolas chuckled at her attempt to lighten the mood.

"My heart isn't healed enough to give you the love you deserve, Legolas but I can find the bravery in me to try and give you what I have." She admitted. Suddenly warm, soft lips met hers. She stiffened in surprise for a second but the next second it was like magic itself approved of this. She allowed him to kiss her and met him with the passion she had long kept suppressed.

All too soon they broke off the kiss and Ginny looked up hesitantly. She saw the same vulnerability and uncertainty in the elf's eyes. Looking for an answer inside herself she couldn't find the pain or the sickening betrayal she expected to feel. Somehow it had felt right.

She smiled at that and reached up to give him a chaste kiss. She reached for the clasp of her necklace and undid it.

"Let my tentative love for you give you bravery." She said and placed the necklace around his neck. "And don't you dare to die on me as well. I'll kill myself just to be able to curse you into the next age in the halls of Mandos."

"I will see you at Minas Tirith, my love." Legolas said and kissed her goodbye.

She watched as the three rode away. She couldn't find it in her to cry. She had done everything she could and deep in her heart she knew they would be alright. Aragorn would rise up to the challenge for Arwen. When she couldn't see them anymore she turned around and walked back to the camp.

When she arrived at the fire she heard the nervous whispering and gossiping the departure Aragorn had caused within the ranks. They were scared. If the great warrior of Helm's Deep was leaving them on the eve of battle then surely they would go into a hopeless battle. Even Éomer looked confused and worried about this new development. He looked up at her with such a worry and question that she felt so very bad for him.

She needed to give them back their hope. She placed a hand on Éomer's shoulder and squeezed it softly in strength.

"Okay, everybody listen up!" She called. When that didn't work she send out red sparks with her wand. That got the attention. "Listen to me. Lord Aragorn and his companions are leaving to gather more men. He and he alone can demand the presence of an army as vast as this one. Together we will defeat the enemy on the fields of Pelennor. All we need to do is keep the enemy busy until Lord Aragorn arrives. His detour will take about a day extra. I'm sure that many brave men like yourself will be able to keep a rabble of orcs busy for a day."

With that she left for her tent in the hope to get a few more hours of sleep before they would ride out.


	30. The Scout

**30\. The scout**.

Legolas watch as Ginny whispered words to Gimli and Aragorn. He couldn't hear them, not even with his enhanced hearing but he knew that they were words of love and friendship. He could see it in the Dwarf's eyes. When Aragorn kissed her cheek he didn't feel any jealousy. He knew Ginny saw Aragorn as her big brother. Though he did wonder what she exactly had said to both men, especially because she left Gimli with the biggest smile he had ever seen.

He waited silently for Ginny to come and say goodbye to him. It felt so wrong to leave her but he knew that this was the path the Valar had intended for them and he would trust in that.

When she finally reached him, she was very hesitant and shy. Something he had never seen before. There was a vulnerability in her that made him step forward and take her hands.

"Ginny." He whispered. He heard the pain he was feeling about due to his love for her seep through into his voice. No matter how strong and tough he pretended to be, the fact that she did not answer his love hurt him deeply. Apparently, Ginny had heard and recognized the pain as well.

"Legolas, this isn't easy for me. I had given my heart to a man once and loved him fully. He was taken from me in battle and I fear what might happen if I dare to let myself love you like that so shortly before the deciding battle." As she spoke she started to look up at him. Her eyes conveyed her pain and her fears more perfectly than her words. He had never realized that it might be the coming battle that kept her hesitant to open up to them. "But I'm a Gryffindor, from where the brave and noble dwell."

Her favorite saying whenever she talked about her school years. 'Gryffindor, where the noble and brave at heart dwell'. He chuckled at her attempt to lighten the mood a little.

"My heart isn't healed enough to give you the love you deserve, Legolas but I can find the bravery in me to try and give you what I have." She admitted. As the meaning of her words reached him a warm glow started to spread through him. He realized that instead of the heart-breaking blow he had been expecting for days now she gave him a gift beyond all others. She would give him the love he so craved. He couldn't stop himself as his love for her overwhelmed him. Before he knew it, his lips covered hers.

There was a split second in which he feared she would still refuse him but it was only a second. After that it was pure magic. The most purest and glorious feeling wrapped around them and it felt like he was flying.

All to soon she pulled back and suddenly the fear of rejected overwhelmed him. Had his kiss been too much too soon? He waited for her as he saw her check her feeling. A few seconds later a smile crossed her face and she reached up to give him a soft chaste kiss.

"Let my tentative love for you give you bravery." She told him softly as he felt her place her necklace around his neck. To give away an elven pendant had great meaning in their world. He wondered if Ginny knew the importance of her gesture. "And don't you dare to die on me as well. I'll kill myself just to be able to curse you into the next age in the halls of Mandos."

He smiled at that thought. She truly gave him a precious gift this night. He couldn't wait for this war to be over with and explore their love more deeply.

"I'll see you at Minas Tirith, my love." He told her and hugged her tightly. He placed a soft kiss on her lips before letting her go.

She stepped back and let them go. As he rode off he noticed that Ginny really was a strong and brave woman. She didn't cry or yelled at them to be careful, she just watched them off until they couldn't see her anymore.

"You have found yourself a very special woman, princeling." Gimli told him after a while. Legolas nodded in agreement but he was still a bit lost for words after what happened.

"I'm curious to see how your father will react to her." Aragorn said with a chuckle. This snapped Legolas out of his haze and laughed.

"I'm not too worried about that. Either she will have him wrapped around her fingers within minutes or she will curse him until he knows not to comment. My father is an arrogant man at times but he isn't stupid, he will recognize the little firecracker she is."

"I remember Lord Elrond telling stories about your mother, she too was a little hellcat." Aragorn stated.

"That's why I think they will get along perfectly." Legolas nodded.

Aragorn laughed and nodded at that. They rode on and bantered a little until the darkness of the mountain made then go silent. Now wasn't the time for jokes and laughter. They had a promise to keep and get to the other side safely.

G&L&G&L&G&L&G&L&G&L&G&L

"Form up, move out! Form up, move out!" Éomer's voice rung out over the camp. Around six thousand riders moved from the camp. It was a sight to behold from up her high position. She had let Gimli take her horse as she favored going into such a big battle on more familiar transport.

At first her broom had been quite the shock for many warriors but those fought at Helm's Deep were already used to Ginny's weirdness and quickly spread the word of the Red Istar and her deeds for the people of Rohan. After just an hour everybody knew who she was and that she could be trusted. Who says men do not gossip.

She flew over the army and kept an eye out for any trouble. She had agreed with Théoden that she would keep watch from up high as it would give them a fair warning if there was trouble ahead.

"Ride! Ride now to Gondor." Théoden called and lead his men towards the white city.

Ginny flew along with the army. Sometimes she swooped in to talk to Théoden or Éomer about the road ahead. She checked on Èowyn's glamours every now and then but they seemed to be holding up perfectly. To her surprise Merry rode with Èowyn.

She wasn't sure what she had expected from the Hobbit but not that he would dive into battle headfirst.

After a long ride, they stopped at a lake to give the horses a change to drink, eat and rest.

"We should send in scouts. We need to know what is going on before arriving." Ginny heard Éomer saying as she landed next to them.

"It's too dangerous. There is a big chance that the Nazgul are flying, any scout will get noticed before he can even get a look at it. It would be better if our enemy do not know of our coming." Théoden said.

"How far away are we?" Ginny asked. Around her a few men looked at her in surprise and shock. Some were even readying to say something against her interference but when Éomer answered her question immediately they closed their mouth.

"If we were to ride now we will arrive shortly after sunrise. So, about a night's ride." Éomer told her. She thought about that. Even on full speed of her broom it would still take her half the night. If she could apparate to a point close by she could fly the rest and apparate back.

"Is there a point closer by that is safe enough to apparate to for me?" She asked. The two men thought about that for a second.

"There is a small house a short walk away from the first beacon. It's where the guard of the beacon used to live but they moved to another place about ten summers ago. From there you can oversee the Fields of Pelennor." Éomer answered.

"Can you give me coordinates or a good description of the place?"

"I don't know what you mean with coordinates but the house is just a shack really. I have a map to show you where it is."

"That would suffice." Ginny nodded. Éomer showed her the map and the location to where she could apparate safely. Éomer was pretty sure that no enemy would be there as all of them should be at Minas Tirith and it was still too far away of the battle.

"Only watch out for the Nazgul. They might fly high enough to notice you." Théoden told her.

"They won't catch me. From what I know of the Nazgul they are too big to turn as quickly as I can. I can outfly them easily." Ginny told them. "I'll be back shortly after nightfall."

Both men nodded and she disappeared with a soft pop.

The house Éomer mentioned was indeed nothing more than a shack but it gave her good cover. She casted a disillusionment charm on herself and her broom and took off. From up the mountain she had a clear few of the raging battle.

Below tens of thousands of orcs and other horrible creatures were overwhelming the city with brute force. As she watched the battle unfold she realized that Aragorn needed to bring a vast army if they would stand a change because the six thousand horsemen were not enough.

She noticed the Nazgul flying high over the city. They were more horrid then she had imagined from Gandalf's description. They made her think of the Dementors. She tried to get a little bit closer and pulled on the magic of the land to get an idea of their magic. It was overwhelming. They were made out of the darkest and foulest magic imaginable.

With a shiver, she steered away from them. They needed some further thoughts before she could take them on.

She scouted out towards the river in the hope to see any sign of her friends but she only saw an additional army with these huge beasts that looked like elephants. That army looked deathlier then the massive army of orcs. They looked more like extremely trained fighters. She remembered Lord Elrond telling Aragorn about the army that would come from the South. Was this that army or could they expect even more?

She guessed that more were on their way as Lord Elrond had said that they would be there in two days. Only a day had passed. She shook her head sadly. The odds didn't look good.

Flying back towards the city Ginny took note of how dire the situation was for the people of Minas Tirith. They would not last another day like this. There weren't many soldiers defending the city. It seemed like the armies of Gondor had failed to come to the aid of their capital city. Perhaps the city failed to send out calls for aid. Either way she noticed Gandalf leading the men and they were barely holding up.

She decided that the Rohirrim needed to move on as quickly as possible. She apparated midflight to get back to the temporary encampment. As she did that she realized that it was a dangerous thing to do but as both flying and apparating were like a second nature to her, she had not thought twice of it. Only the need to hurry.

"King Théoden." She breathed as she landed next to him. Around him were Éomer, Gamling, Háma and two other captains she didn't know the names off. "The situation is dire. The city won't last another day. I fear it will fall before midday tomorrow if no one would come to their aid."

"What?" Éomer gasped.

"The orcs are too many and too big. Well over thirty thousand orcs alone, with good equipment. Not to mention all the different beasts. The army Sauron send is vast and Gondor's armies are not there. They only fight with that part of the army that was stationed in Minas Tirith. It looks like they didn't have time or the will to send out messengers to call for aid." Ginny explained quickly. "And that's not all of it. There is this smaller army waiting close to the river. They are human and look like very skilled fighters and they have these huge animals they ride on."

"The Mûmakil, Haradrim, and Southrons." Théoden breathed. "They might cause a huge problem. They are indeed skilled fighters."

"From what I saw of the battlefield we will come in from the east over a hill. It might be best to assemble before that hill so that we surprise the orc and beast army at full speed. That part of the army looked the weakest, so we might take them out first. Once they are dealt with we better hope and pray that Aragorn and his army arrives." Ginny told them.

"That sounds like a good plan." Éomer agreed.

"I have seen the Nazgul, all nine are there."

"Even the witch king?" Théoden gasped.

"Even him. His is keeping Gandalf quite busy I imagine. I'm not sure what I can do against them. I can outfly them and maybe hit them with curses but I'm not sure. They are of such a dark magic that I'm not sure my skills will do any good."

"Time is against us. Make ready!" Théoden decided. Éomer nodded and called out orders.

"Prepare to move out!"

"Make haste. We ride through the night." Théoden ordered and Ginny sighed. She could have done with a few hours of rest. She shrugged and patted her kit. It was a good thing she had brewed so many pepper-up potions.


	31. The Battle

_**MERRY CHRISTMAS, BLESSED YULE AND ALL!**_

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 **31\. The Battle on the Pelennor fields**.

They reached the hill before the battlefield shortly after sunrise. They had moved quickly and Théoden and Éomer were already assembling the army when Ginny decided to fly in lower. She had transformed her clothes into something similar to her Quidditch gear only more sturdy so that it could prevent arrows from hurting her. Kevlar is how muggles called it. She had also spent some of the time considering the Nazgul. All she could come up with was that they were similar to the dementors and that using her Patronus might give her a chance. However she wasn't sure if she could pull up a happy enough thought to call forth the patronus.

"Éomer, take your Eored down the left flank." Théoden ordered.

"Flank ready!"

"Gamling, follow the King's banner down the centre. Grimbold! Take your company right after you pass the wall. Forth and fear no darkness!" The king told his lieutenant before turning to his complete army. "Arise! Arise riders of Théoden. Spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered, a sword day, a red day ere the sun rises!"

As the king rode past her she quickly casted a tracking charm on him. She had done the same with Èowyn, Merry and Éomer. That way she would be able to keep track of them on the battlefield and hopefully protect them.

"Ride now, ride now! Ride! Ride for ruin and the world's ending! DEATH!" Théoden roared. His army answered and Ginny shook her head. She had no need for pre-battle encouragements. She wanted this to be over quickly and be done with it. However she knew that with the battle coming within seconds she would have the relive all previous battles again. Her memories and nightmares were so close to the surface.

She casted a disillusionment charm on herself and disappeared from sight. She quickly rose up high enough to prevent any arrows or spears to hit her. She took a glance towards the river in the hope to see some sign of those she cared for but found nothing. She prayed that they would hurry up.

"Forth Eorlingas!" Théoden called and she turned her broom toward the battlefield. She took a deep breath and pushed her heart, soul and feelings away. She tried to tune out all other things then the need to survive this battle. At all costs.

When she reopened her eyes she looked at the city. She noticed that the first two levels had already been breached. She sent out a quick prayer for the safety of Gandalf and Pippin before refocusing on where her skills were most needed. With Théoden to her right and Éomer to her left she moved forward with the army.

As the horse army thundered down the hill and as they almost reached their enemy Ginny used her magic to send out blasts of air. This caused her enemies to be pushed back a little and got confused. Their arrows missed the Rohirrim by far.

After placing her wand in its sheet she held out one hand and mentally called for the sword of Gryffindor. Not knowing or caring why or how, the sword appeared in her hand as it had done at Helm's Deep. A flash of bright metal was all that anyone saw before she most spectacularly used the Wronski Feint and dived into the battle. She aimed for the battalion leaders that were shouting orders.

The slashing sound of her sword sung through the air as her enemies fell to an invisible force. They didn't get the time to even warn their comrades. These orcs didn't have the thick armor or skin like the Uruk-Hai had. This made it easier for her to kill them. After just two dives she was covered in orc blood and dust. She felt disgusted when she thought about it but these were the realities of battle. She had chosen to be here and help her friends survive.

She would so conjure a shower at the end of this nightmare.

Ginny grinned as she noticed that they were making headway towards the city. They were fighting for a while already and her arms were starting to get tired from swinging her sword. However it seemed that her thoughts on how to overwhelm the enemy and Éomer's most brilliant integrating them in the Rohirrim's proven plans worked perfectly.

After every five orcs or beasts she her sword hit she would fly up and check on the royal family and Merry. They seemed to be doing a pretty fine job themselves. All of them seemed to be in good health and spirits.

As she fought she used very little magic. She knew that once the Nazgul came she would be using up a lot as she would do anything to keep her friends safe from these monsters and after the battle the wounded would need treatment. She would be utterly exhausted by the time she was either dead or they had won the battle.

It was about an hour later that the Nazgul took their attention to the Horse-Army. Especially to Ginny as she was still hidden behind charms and was very effective. The first arrival of the Fell Riders came as a bit of a surprise to her. She was just going into a dive when she felt their dark magic was over her. Again it felt similar to the arrival of a dementor.

It took all her flying skills to avoid the razor sharp teeth of the flying monster but it did cost her to drop the charms. She quickly switched her sword for her wand and raced to outfly it.

"Merlin's pants." She muttered as teeth snapped pretty close to her.

"You can not escape, witch." The Nazgul hissed.

Ginny's head whipped around and sneered at the wraith. She raised her wand and thought about casting a patronus charm but couldn't think of anything happy just yet. Knowing that she didn't have much time she tried a daring maneuver and looped around the fell-rider so she faced his back.

"Incendio." She yelled and a ball of fire erupted from her wand. It hit the wraith full on. The shrieking sound was the worst thing she had ever heard. However her tactic seemed to work as the Nazgul flew off in quite the hurry.

She wasn't given time to think on it any further as the next Nazgul appeared in her line of sight. What they didn't notice and the people on the ground couldn't see but caught Ginny's eye were the coming of ships down the river.

' _Legolas'_ she thought with a smile. Suddenly the most happiest thought washed over her and settled in her stomach. With a smirk at the wraith she raised her wand again.

"Expecto Patronum!" She roared and a wolf like figure erupted from her wand. She was a little surprised by the change of her patronus but kept her focus on it. "Get that bastard!" She told her patronus. The wolf obeyed and charged for the wraith.

The purest and lightest of magic seemed to have quite an impact on the wraith. It shrieked and shrieked until it fled away. It appeared that the Nazgul couldn't really deal with light in general. "Get them all." Ginny ordered the wolf. She would not expect it to permanently harm the Nazgul but like with a Dementor her patronus would keep it at a distance for now.

Knowing that her patronus would keep her safe for a while she dived back into the battle and searched for her friends. She found that while she had been distracted by the Nazgul, the Rohirrim had been making short work of the orcs.

"Drive them to the river." Éomer called.

"Make safe the city." Théoden roared but as he called out to his men, Ginny swore loudly. Through the dust of the trampling horses she saw those bloody huge animals.

"Théoden! Éomer!" She screamed. "Watch out."

Théoden heard her call and looked around. After a second he saw them as well. The elephant like monsters and the Haradrim moved quickly towards them. Ginny send a couple of blasting curses their way but the monster's skin was thick and her curses did little. The other negative side effect of using her wand again was that her Patronus disappeared. She did not have the power to keep multiple power-demanding spells going.

"Oh, you three better hurry up." Ginny whispered as she glanced towards the river. She saw the ships getting closer but they needed to arrive now.

"Re-form the line! Re-form the line!" Théoden called to his men in an attempt to re-organize. "Sound the charge. Take them head-on. Chaaarge!"

Ginny decided to forgo her sword completely. She was nowhere near strong enough to use her sword against this. She flew up to where those weird humans were guiding the elephant. She shot a blasting curse at the hut-like riding gear and hit it full on. The wooden structure exploded loudly, killing the men in it and causing the Elephant to panic and run away.

"Merry!" She suddenly heard somebody call. She recognized Èowyn's voice and quickly casted the charm that would help her to track them down. It led her not far from where Théoden was fighting.

On the floor in the mayhem of beasts, horses, soldiers and warriors she found Èowyn crawling.

"Are you okay?" Ginny asked the second she landed next to the woman. She helped the shield maiden up her feet and handed her back her sword.

"Yes, I was able to roll away but Merry..." She was cut off by the arrival of an orc. Ginny quickly threw a blasting curse that sent the orc flying. A coughing sound alerted them on Merry's arrival but they had no time to check him over as more enemies arrived.

She swapped her wand for her two elven blades. Using the techniques Legolas had taught her Ginny slashed and slashed until she heard Théoden call out again. She looked up to see Théoden just thirthy feet away from her

"Rally to me! To me!"

There was a screeching sound that made the men nervously looking around. Ginny immediately recognized the dark magic of the Nazgul again. She groaned as she had hoped that she had chased them off further then this. They seemed to be more stubborn then men. However before she could cast any spell at the one close by it knocking down Théoden. The bloody monster sent Théoden and his horse flying a few feet before the horse landed on top of Théoden.

"No!" Èowyn breathed.

"Fuck!" Ginny growled and shot a blasting curse towards the Nazgul. It hit full on but had little impact. She wasn't thinking clearly and totally forgot about Patronussen and fire. Her only focus was now on saving Théoden.

"Feast on his flesh." The Witch-king hissed. His words sent Èowyn running and Ginny cursing even louder. How was she to protect the royals if they were prone on making such idiotic decisions? Gryffindors! All of them. Again she prayed for Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas to hurry up with that bloody army of theirs.

She ran after Èowyn but thought that as long as the woman was standing and fighting her attention should go to the king. She quickly knelt down next to him as she kept an eye out for what Èowyn was doing.

As she looked down at Théoden she was hit with an onslaught of horrific memories of broken bodies. For a second Théoden had red hair and freckles.

"Leave it. Safe your magic." Théoden said. "I'm old and broken. Nothing can heal this."

"Nonsense." She snapped and quickly casted a diagnostic charm. The king was in very bad shape but she was sure she could heal him. The majority of his injuries were just broken bones and cuts. The most worrisome injury was an internal bleeding just above his broken pelvis. She would do what was necessary for his survival first. The rest would come later.

She had to stop the internal bleeding first and waved her wand over the injured area. The spells she used were spells she had seen her mother use many, many times before on her twin brother. She could have done them while sleeping by now. After she was certain the bleeding had stopped she gave Théoden a blood-replenishing potion.

"Swallow." She ordered.

"Ginevra?" He asked.

"These are all treatable wounds. You will be able to fight again within a week." Ginny told him and pulled out some more potions. She levitated the horse off of Théoden's body and with a swish she threw it into a Nazgul who decided to have a look at what she was doing. Apparently throwing solid objects at them worked as well. "Drink." She ordered again. "It's for healing your bones. As the effect will be very painful I'll put you into a magical sleep, a body bind charm and I will place you under a…"

"You fool. No man can kill me! Die now." Ginny heard the witch-king roar. She looked up for a second to see what was happening to Èowyn.

"I am no man!" Èowyn growled back and lifted her helm.

"Èowyn?" Théoden asked Ginny.

"She has been fighting better then most of your men." She answered. She watched as Èowyn raised her sword and stabbed the Witch-king through the gap in his helmet.

Suddenly there was this loud cry coming from the Witch-king and a magical backlash similar to what happened during the battle with Harry and Voldemort started to wash over them. Ginny ducked down immediately and threw up a shield charm to protect herself from the worst. The charm covered Théoden as well but it didn't reach Èowyn. She watched helplessly as Èowyn was thrown backwards and landed unconscious a few feet away.

"She killed the Witch-king." Théoden muttered in awe.

"Apparently so." Ginny breathed as the magical onslaught stopped. "Now sleep, bind and invisibility. I have placed a tracking charm on you. I will find you when the battle is over. You are safe for now."

"Save Èowyn." Théoden told her.

"I will see to her immediately."

Ginny quickly casted her charms over the king and hurried towards Èowyn and Merry. Her diagnostics charms showed that Merry was just knocked out but had nothing seriously. Èowyn's results were harder to make sense off. It was like she was sleeping but locked in a nightmare. Her heartbeat was fast and irregular, her blood pressure wasn't stable and her mind was totally shut off. However there were no real injuries besides a few small cuts and bruises.

Knowing the dark magic Èowyn had rushing through her Ginny was sure the Shield-maiden was in great danger but she didn't know what to do and couldn't really think with a battle just going around her. She decided to place Èowyn under a statis charm for now. She would come back to this later. Perhaps if she could find Gandalf in the city he could help Èowyn.

She got up and looked around to see what to do next. The noises of the battle had died down as soon as her focused had shifted to taking care of Théoden. Now she noticed that noises of gore and death had died down because the battle seemed to be over.

She sighed and her shoulders fell. There were no more orcs or beasts attacking her. No more enemies to defeat only these ghostlike figures floating around killing the last of the orcs. For a second she let it wash over her. She was still alive and it seemed like they had won this battle.

She stood up straighter as she realized they had won this battle. They had won! These ghosts were the army Aragorn was sent to command. Apparently they made the difference. In the distance she saw a greenish haze sweeping through the city. They worked so efficiently that the orcs stood no chance.

She couldn't help but smile for a second. She was still alive, Théoden would live and in the distance she heard Éomer order his men around. Her smile fell, as she couldn't remember seeing Legolas anywhere. Neither had she seen Aragorn or Gimli. She looked around slowly but only saw the Rohirrim and the ghosts. Her heart clenched as worry settled in her stomach.

She wanted to go look for Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn but Gamling drew her attention.

"Where is King Théoden?" He asked her. "We can't find the king."

"He is over here." She told him and lifted the charm that hid him. Gamling gasped, as Théoden very much resembled a corpse.

"What happened?" Gamling asked as he looked down at the unconscious and bloodied form of the king.

"He was attacked by the Nazgul. It threw him off the horse. He has broken bones and had internal bleeding. I managed to heal most of the most threatening issues. I also gave him a potion for his bones to start healing but he will need more attention later. He will need at least a day of strict bed rest before his bones are completely healed."

"Can we take him into the city?"

"Yes." Ginny said and conjured a stretcher and carefully levitated the king onto it. "Keep him as steady as possible, movement might cause his bones to set wrongly. I will visit him later to heal the remaining injuries. And find Éomer, his sister is badly wounded and needs attention from Gandalf if the wizard is still alive." Ginny said as she pointed to Èowyn's body.

"She isn't dead, is she?"

"No, under a charm but I do not know how to heal her. I hope Gandalf is still alive and knows." Ginny told him.

As Gamling left she checked on Merry's condition and decided that it would be better for the Hobbit that he woke up on his own accord. It was most likely that his mind was working hard to organize and make sense of everything.

She started to walk towards the city. The wounded would be taken there and it was most likely that Aragorn would go there to get things organized. He was now the king after all. She hoped that Legolas would be there as well. At first she wanted to fly to find them quickly but she noticed so many wounded soldiers sitting and laying around that she set off on foot.

Along the way she performed healing charms and diagnostic charms on wounded soldiers. She told the men that those who were lightly wounded were to be taken to the healers in the city. After placing them under statis charms she ordered the heavily wounded to be placed in a safe cut off location where she would heal them after she had found Legolas. Anything life-saving she could do, she did out there.

Halfway through her track to the city she was met with a frantic Pippin.

"Pip!" She yelled and rushed to hug the Hobbit.

"Ginny!" Pippin yelled and hugged her tightly. "You survived."

"That I did. How about you, are you alright?"

"Just shaken. Gandalf managed to keep me safe most of the time."

"So Gandalf is still alive as well?"

"Oh yes, he is with Aragorn over at the gates. Have you seen Merry?"

Ginny breathed a sigh of relieve to know that Aragorn and Gandalf made it through.

"Yes, you see that monster the Nazgul ride?" Ginny pointed to where she had left Merry and Èowyn.

"It's dead." Pippin stated.

"Èowyn did that. She and Merry fought bravely. You should find Merry over there. He was unconscious when I left him but nothing worrying. His mind just needed a bit of time to sort it all out. If you could wake him up he would be fine."

"Thanks." Pippin said and ran off.


	32. Curse Happy

_**AN: real life is kicking my behind big time. Between health issues and setting up my own business and a job that pays the bills, I barely have time to write.  
I am sorry if this chapter has typos and error but I tried to get them all out.**_

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 **32\. Curse-Happy.**

When he arrived at the docks he immediately looked to the sky but he couldn't see through the dust clouds. His elven ears picked up the sounds of the horse-army. They were still moving so he was hopeful that Ginny was somewhere there as well.

As they made their way through the battlefield he kept looking up in the hope to see her. She wasn't up in the sky as she promised and an evil voice inside his head questioned what other promises she hadn't kept. He focused on his fighting, as he didn't want to think like that. There would have been a good reason for Ginny not to be up in the sky. Gimli provided the needed distraction by making it all a game again.

By the time it became clear that they had won this battle and reached the city he still couldn't find her. Not in the sky, not on the battlefield. As the battle died down he really started to worry about Ginny. It was the only thing on his mind. Not even the fact that they had just won the biggest battle of this age seemed to hold much importance as he frantically looked around for the red head. _Where was she_?

" **I'm sure she is alright."** Aragorn whispered.

" **I'm going to look for her."** He said.

" **Start with Éomer and the Rohirrim. I'm sure she is with them. I'll get things organized here**." Aragorn said.

Legolas nodded and left his companions to look for the witch. He walked for a while but didn't dare to look down at the bodies that were laying spread throughout the field. There was so much dead and blood around him that it was hard to stay positive. It would have been so easy for Ginny to be hurt as well. She wouldn't have worn much protection and her skill with a sword wasn't all that good either. Fear started to grip his heart.

Suddenly he saw Éomer running past him towards something that looked like a fell-beast. He quickly caught up and watched as the man fell down to his knees and pulled up the limp body of Èowyn.

"No!" Éomer roared. Helplessly Legolas watched as Éomer pulled his unmoving sister close and crying in anguish. Was this his fate as well? To find Ginny's mangled body somewhere. To feel his heart being ripped from his chest?

"Lord Éomer!" A soldier suddenly called. The man made his way over to them. "The lady Istar told us to bring Lady Èowyn to the city. The Istar told Gamling that Lady Èowyn needs special attention from the white wizard. They are setting up an infirmary for those the Istar promised to heal on the higher levels by order of of the red Istar."

This caught Legolas's attention. Ginny was alive. She was ordering around the Rohirrim to take care of the wounded. This meant that Ginny was somewhere around. He looked around but didn't see her.

"Thank you, soldier." Éomer said with a short nod. "I will take her to the city."

The soldier nodded and made to leave.

"You saw the red Istar?" Legolas asked the soldier as he walked with him.

"Yes, milord. She is actually looking for you. The last time I saw her was at the gate taking care of the wounded. She kept asking if anyone had seen you or Lord Aragorn. I think she is still there getting an infirmary organized. She was happily cursing Gondor's more stupid nobility for interfering with her orders when I left to look for lord Éomer." Legolas nodded with a chuckle and ran off.

His heart was elated that she was still well and alive. At least she was well enough to be curse-happy as she called it. According to his memory that meant she felt good and strong. When he got closer to the gates he saw a flash of red.

"Ginny!" He called out over the noise made by the wounded and the impatient. Ginny was indeed surrounded by soldiers and nobility alike. However the nobility stood back a bit and the pink and green hairs, weird noses and painful looking boils explained why.

Apparently she had heard him because her head snapped up in his direction just a second later. When she noticed who was calling for her she dropped everything and ran towards him. They met half way.

His arms wrapped around her lithe body and he pulled her close and buried his face in her hair. The spicy send that was so typical Ginny was mingled with the smell of blood and smoke. His whole body shook with releave and unnamed emotions.

"You are alive. You made it. Are you okay?" She asked sobbingly. Her arms were tight around him and her face pressed into his chest.

"I'm fine, not a scratch. Are you alright?" He asked as he held her at arms length. She was covered in blood and dust but looked al right. Her brown eyes were swirling with emotion. They were drawing him in and he wanted to loose himself in them but now was not the time.

"Yes, just a few bruises here and there but nothing important."

"Good." He breathed and pulled her to him again. "I was so worried when I couldn't find you up in the air."

"Théoden and Èowyn are badly injured. Èowyn killed the witch-king, Legolas. It was amazing and so scary." She breathed. "I had to heal Théoden to save him. He had internal bleedings and so many broken bones. After that I was too busy trying to help Èowyn." Ginny quickly explained. "I thought you would be in the city somewhere with Aragorn so I made my way over here. Are the others alright?"

Legolas smiled at her rapid words of explanation. It appeared that she had been too busy saving everybody else to even think about herself.

"It is al right, Ginny. I was just very worried. There are so many dead and injured."

"I was worried about you too. It took so long before you arrive. I saw the ships arrive but I was attacked by a Nazgul immediately after that. Where is everybody?"

"Aragorn is dealing with the remaining issues on the battlefield. He is fine but got some bruises. After that he will make sure that everything in the city is arranged. Gimli and Gandalf are helping him with that. Gandalf seemed okay. The dwarf is very upset but fine all together."

"Why is Gimli upset?" Ginny asked and pulled back to look at him.

"He lost." Legolas said with a smile. Suddenly Ginny looked angry and hit him on his arm.

"Oh you two and your bloody games." She growled playfully. Legolas laughed at her antics. She had been quite angry with him and Gimli when the dwarf had told her about the game. Claiming that it was very inappropriate and dangerous not to be fully focused. She had told them off for a while and it made him remember of how his father had berated him when he was still very young.

"Come on let's go and find the others. I need to see for myself if they are all right and then find the infirmary. There are so many wounded. Also Gandalf needs to see to Èowyn. She was hit by dark magic and I can't heal her."

Legolas nodded and led her to where Aragorn, Gimli and Gandalf were waiting for them. Ginny suddenly pulled her hand out of his and raced towards their friends. With a speed he could have never imagined she flung herself around Aragorn's neck.

"I knew you could do it!" She screamed. "Thank Merlin, you are all okay!"

"I'm happy to see you in one piece too, little sister." Aragorn said as he hugged her back.

Legolas watched as Ginny enjoyed a moment of reconnecting with Gimli and then Gandalf.

"So, what about Théoden and his family. I haven't seen them yet?" Aragorn said after a while.

"Théoden and Èowyn were badly injured. I have been able to heal most of Théoden's injuries and I will have to see to the rest of them shortly. Gamling brought him to the infirmary. Èowyn is a different story. She killed the Witch-king."

"No man can kill the witch-king." Gandalf told her.

"It's a good thing then that Èowyn is not a man, huh?" Ginny snapped at him. "She is missing certain body parts for that but it does give her that additional intelligence to use. However she was overcome by the dark magic that was released. I could shield myself and Théoden but not her. She is unconscious and it looks like she is experiencing something similar to a nightmare I can't wake her out off but she doesn't have any worrying injuries."

"The black breath." Aragorn muttered and Gandalf nodded.

"You will have to call her back." Gandalf told Aragorn. "Any what about Éomer and Merry?"

"Éomer is alright and attending to Èowyn at the moment. I left Merry on the battlefield. He was unconscious but nothing major I decided that it was better to let him wake in his own time. However there were so many wounded that I forgot to make sure he was taken to the infirmary. He will have a headache for a few days but he has pain-relieve potions in his kit."

"Pippin is already looking for him. They will take care of each other." Gandalf told her.

"I know I came across Pippin as I made my way here. I pointed him towards Merry. Besides that there are many wounded men that needs my attention. I have been organizing what the Rohirrim is doing with the wounded. Éomer has been a great help so far and the men seem to be happy to take my directions." Ginny said thoughtfully. Legolas couldn't help but feel proud of her. To gain so much respect from soldiers that they would follow her orders was something impressive, especially with her being a woman. "They are dividing the wounded into two groups so that I can focus on the most seriously wounded first. However there were two men, who I suspect are Gondor's nobility who thought they could go against my orders. They were telling the Rohirrim to stay outside the city and deal with the wounded there. Ungrateful bastards. Luckily the Rohirrim knows better, a soldier informed me of the issue. The two noblemen will be out of the running for a while."

"I saw men with pink and green hair and painful looking boils." Legolas commented.

"Oh, those were just two who kept annoying me. The two who I really cursed are somewhere up there." She pointed to the top of the gates. All four of them saw two man hanging there looking in great discomfort. "I really need to go. There are many wounded waiting for me."

Legolas shook his head. He took a good look at the stunning woman and realized that she looked exhausted and pale. Her eyes however showed him that there was no sleep for her any time soon.

"Will you please first see to the captain of Gondor. He was badly wounded and burned. I can't do much for him but I think your magic will heal him quickly." Gandalf asked.

"I will." Ginny nodded. "I'm happy to see you all alright, do any of you need healing?"

"No, we are all okay." Gimli told her.

"Yes, for now you are. You and Legolas will have something to answer too when I have time to deal with that." Ginny told him sternly.

"Yes, we are fine." Aragorn said and rescuing both Legolas and Gimli from a very curse-happy Ginny. "I will see to those who think they still have something to say in this country so that you can work in peace. I will also send a servant to help you find your way through the city."

"Good and thanks." Ginny said with a nod and a last stern look at Legolas and Gimli. She took Legolas's hand and as she started to walk she asked the elf. "Will you help me?"

"I won't leave your side unless you ask me." Legolas promised her. The smile he got from her was a reward enough.

Aragorn led them up through the city to where Faramir, captain of Gondor was fighting for his life. Ginny immediately rushed over to see what she could do for him. Legolas noticed that she flinched as she looked at the severely wounded man. It was only for a second after which she started to cast her spells

"Six arrow wounds, two infected cuts, heavy poison in his system, three broken ribs, punctured lung, burn marks, broken arm and leg, high fever and severe malnutrition. It's a wonder he is still alive." Ginny muttered. Legolas watched as she opened her bag of potions and pulled out two bottles. She looked at Gimli who had walked in after them. "Gimli can you make sure he swallows this one. Legolas do you still have a fever reducing potion and a bottle of burn-paste in your survival kit?"

"Yes."

"Please give the fever-reducing one to Gimli so he can feed that to the captain as well and then start to apply the burn paste to the angry red areas." Ginny told him. After she was done she used the potions she still had in her hand to clear out the arrow wounds and cuts before healing them with her wand. Then she used some intricate wand movements for something Legolas couldn't identify.

"There." Ginny sighed. "He had a punctured lung due to an arrow and the arrows were most likely poisoned. Who is in charge of this infirmary?" She asked. Legolas only then noticed three more people in the room who stood back with shock and awe covering their faces.

"I am milady." An older woman asked. "I'm Hester, the head of the infirmary."

"Hello Hester, I am Ginny. I'm a witch as you can see and will be running through your infirmary for a while. I'm not dangerous I'm only here to heal the wounded."

"Yes, I saw what you just did for Lord Faramir. It was very impressive."

"Thank you. The bottles I have placed on the table are the potions Lord Faramir has to take to heal. Make sure he gets one bottle every two hours until they are gone. His broken bones will need a full day of rest before they are healed. I have placed him in a healing sleep so he won't feel the pain. Also, King Théoden will most likely be a guest of your ward. Please ensure that the stubborn man stays put in his bed. His bones are also healing for the next day and any movement will only harm the healing process. If he causes trouble send somebody to find me. I will ensure with magic that he stays put."

"Of course, milady. Will you be attending the other wounded?"

"The most severely wounded first. If I'm still standing after that I'll see to the others."

They nodded and Legolas followed Ginny out to the makeshift infirmary the Rohirrim had made. Somewhere he heard Aragorn order the soldiers of Gondor to cooperate with Ginny if they valued their life. It was better to have them fear her than not listening to her.

For the next five hours Legolas watched Ginny work her way through the wounded. Wherever he could he aided her but with each hour that passed he noticed that Ginny grew more and more tired but wasn't giving up. He tried to help her like he had done when she attended to Lord Faramir but he couldn't prevent her from overworking herself after a whole day of battle and the long ride before that. He wondered when the last time had been that Ginny had slept or ate. He saw her drown a potion half way through but that was about it.

It was after midnight when Ginny could no longer support her own weight and fell to the floor. Legolas rushed towards her and picked her up immediately.

"Is she alright milord?" One of the Gondorian healers asked. Ginny had quickly won over the hearts of the people of Gondor as she saved child, man and woman alike. They had been very hesitant and scared of the wild red head at first, especially since Ginny took no orders and when men failed to follow her orders she would curse them or just use a spell to knock them unconscious for a few hours. When one dared to say something about it and tried to stop her he found himself experiencing great hives.

It was after that moment that the men stood back and slowly got used to a woman giving orders. Ginny had the infirmary cleaned, organized and working smoothly within an hour. She ran it like a household and Legolas watched it all happen with pride and love for this special woman. He could easily see her running things at Mirkwood more efficiently than his father. Now however she was exhausted and asleep in his arms.

"She will be after a solid night of sleep. She cannot do unlimited magic and she has been a part of the Rohan army who were fighting out in the fields. She is just exhausted."

"Then take her up to her rooms. She has done so much already, we can manage the rest."

"I will but I'm sure she will be back as soon as she can."

"And she will be most welcome."

Legolas nodded and took Ginny up to the citadel. He walked through the halls until he reached the royal apartments. Aragorn had decided that they all were staying in there for now. A guard opened the door for him and walked with him through the hallways until they reached the room set aside for Ginny.

"The women have lighted a fire, brought a cauldron of hot water and placed fresh clothes on the bed for the young Istar." A second guard said. "Do you need anything else milord?"

"No, would you please inform Lord Aragorn that we are here. I would like for him to check up on the Istar."

"Of course."

Legolas placed Ginny on the bed and poked up the fire to further warm up the room. It was pretty cold at night in Gondor and he didn't want Ginny to get sick in a moment of weakness. After that he carefully took off her shoes and her belt. He was careful not to touch the survival kit and the backpack. He would have preferred to change her clothes as well but he was sure it was something Ginny would have considered too intimate. She had taken the time to cast cleaning spells on herself every now and then so she was much cleaner than when he had first found her on the battlefield. It would have to do for now.

He took some of the hot water and some scented oil from his own bag. He carefully used it to wash her face, hands and feet before placing her under the blankets.

"Thanks, Legolas." Ginny murmured as she turned towards him and continued to sleep.

He smiled at her and held her hand as she slept. He softly hummed a song to soothe any stress from her body. She had been through much these last few days and Legolas wasn't hopeful that she would escape without nightmares.

However, for now she slept peacefully and with a soft smile on her face.

A while later there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." He called. He was surprised that Ginny slept through the sounds that the door made. Without a sound Aragorn walked in and sat down next to him.

"The whole city is buzzing about her." Aragorn commented.

"All good I hope?"

"Yes, though I heard rumors about her cursing a soldier who dared to disagree with her just because she is a woman."

"It's still a sensitive subject with her. The man will never again make that mistake. She was pretty curse-happy today." Legolas chuckled. He watched as Aragorn placed his hand on Ginny's head and closed his eyes. There was a concerned look on the man's face that slowly eased into a more relaxed expression. Aragorn was as taken with Ginny as he was, only differently and had likely worried a lot about her excessive work-effort and use of magic.

"She is just sleeping peacefully." Aragorn said after a while. "I take it she worked till she could no longer stand on her legs."

"Yes. I had to pick her off the floor."

"Not surprisingly. Éomer told me that she only slept about three hours since we left the encampment." Aragorn sighed. "After we left it was due to her doing that the men kept hope. They saw our leaving as a sign that the coming battle would be hopeless. We weren't even good and well on our way when she personally addressed the men and told them what we were doing and why they should continue to be hopeful."

"I'm not surprised. She seemed to be well adapted in taking control. I think that she learned that from her mother. She had the infirmary fully under her control in such a short time that it seems she is used to running a big and hectic household." Legolas explained.

"She saved many lives today. Faramir will make a full recovery, Théoden as well. Not to mention all those men she saved in the infirmary. I went to look for you there a little while ago to remind you both of the need for rest. It was under better control then I have ever seen Elrond's infirmary."

Legolas nodded and looked at his beautiful and brave woman. He really was proud of her. She was fighting through everything that was thrown at her and came out so very strong. He could only imagine the enigma she would become when she had dealt with her own personal issues.

"You should also know that it was thanks to her doing that both Gondor and the Rohirrim to prevailed till we arrived. Éomer had used Ginny's tactics and combined them with the Eorlingas techniques of battle. That was very effectively but more importantly her scouting work that prepared them for what they would face." Aragorn stated proudly. "Théoden was thinking about sending out scouts but it was considered too dangerous. They were considering going in blind when she offered to go scouting."

"She scouted, alone?" Legolas gasped. He was slight unnerved by the fact that she had been alone out there. Alone everyone was an easy target. Ginny out there alone made him very uneasy. He counted his blessings that he hadn't been there and had been completely unaware.

"Oh hush, Legolas." Ginny whispered softly. "I apparated in, used a disillusion spell on myself, flew two rounds on my broom and apparated out. Nothing dangerous."

Legolas looked down at the supposedly sleeping woman. He noticed her eyes were still closed and she hadn't moved at all. He shook his head; she appeared to be able to order and smooth out things even when she was sleeping.

"I believe you. Just sleep my love. You can tell everything tomorrow when you are rested."

Ginny hummed something and fell back asleep.

Legolas and Aragorn stayed in her room for another few minutes discussing the injured and those who got out unscratched. They also discussed the Gondorian Nobility for a moment. They appeared to fear for their jobs and comforts and had already started to play rude politics with Aragorn.

"I think that if we get through this mess unscratched that I want Ginny with me for meetings." Aragorn sighed. "If anything she will shut them up with that silencing spell of her."

"Not to mention that they fear her greatly. I'm sure she will help you. She's a very smart and well educated woman, I'm sure she will stand her ground in politics."

After that Aragorn left to get some sleep as well. Legolas stayed for another few minutes just watching Ginny sleep before he left for his room.


End file.
